Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in China
China: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 3.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in China, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government spending on education overall vs. primary education in China is 3.9%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in China peaked at 3.9% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 1971.
China ranks 111th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.8% | 1.4% | 2.1% | 9 |
| 1980s | 2.0% | 1.8% | 2.1% | 9 |
| 1990s | 1.8% | 1.6% | 2.0% | 7 |
| 2020s | 3.9% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
More reference data data for China
- Number of child deaths per woman 0.0096 under-five deaths per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 0.999 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 0.999 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 0.999 live births per woman (2023)
- Human Development Index 0.797 (2023)
- Rule of Law - Governance estimate -0.5793 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Rule of Law - Governance score 46.99 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate -1.65 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance score 27.91 0-100 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance estimate -0.1533 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in China?
- Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in China was 3.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 3.9% in 2023.
- What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 1971.
- How does China rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
- China ranks 111th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending on education overall vs. primary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total annual general government spending on all levels of education, expressed as a percentage of GDP.