Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Congo

Congo: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 3.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
3.3%
Change on year
up 22.5%
World rank
132nd
of 199 countries
All-time high
8.4%
in 1978
All-time low
1.7%
in 2005
Years of data
28
1970–2023

Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Congo, 1970–2023

24681970199620231970: 5.7 % of GDP1971: 5.6 % of GDP1973: 5.2 % of GDP1975: 7.7 % of GDP1978: 8.4 % of GDP1979: 7 % of GDP1980: 6.4 % of GDP1994: 6.4 % of GDP1995: 4.9 % of GDP1998: 4.1 % of GDP2002: 3.2 % of GDP2003: 2.8 % of GDP2004: 2.3 % of GDP2005: 1.7 % of GDP2010: 5.7 % of GDP2011: 2.6 % of GDP2012: 2.7 % of GDP2013: 5 % of GDP2014: 3.2 % of GDP2015: 3.1 % of GDP2016: 4.9 % of GDP2017: 4.2 % of GDP2018: 2.8 % of GDP2019: 3.2 % of GDP2020: 4.2 % of GDP2021: 3.3 % of GDP2022: 2.7 % of GDP2023: 3.3 % of GDP

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 Congo is 3.3%, measured in 2023.

The figure is up 22.5% on the previous year and down 33.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Congo peaked at 8.4% in 1978 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 2005.

That places Congo 132nd out of 199 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 28 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 6.6% 5.2% 8.4% 6
1980s 6.4% 6.4% 6.4% 1
1990s 5.1% 4.1% 6.4% 3
2000s 2.5% 1.7% 3.2% 4
2010s 3.7% 2.6% 5.7% 10
2020s 3.4% 2.7% 4.2% 4

Countries ranked near Congo

  1. 129 Palau 3.4% compare
  2. 130 Serbia 3.4% compare
  3. 131 Greece 3.4% compare
  4. 133 Japan 3.3% compare
  5. 134 El Salvador 3.3% compare
  6. 135 North Macedonia 3.3% compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More reference data data for Congo

All data for Congo →

Frequently asked questions

What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Congo?
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Congo was 3.3% 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 Congo?
The highest recorded value was 8.4% in 1978.
What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Congo?
The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 2005.
How does Congo rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
Congo ranks 132nd out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in Congo?
Over the last ten years it is down 33.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Congo 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

Indicator
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education
Unit
% of GDP
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
199 places, 5,140 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Total annual general government spending on all levels of education, expressed as a percentage of GDP.