Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Hong Kong
Hong Kong: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 3.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Hong Kong, 1971–2024
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 Hong Kong is 3.8%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 6.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Hong Kong peaked at 4.6% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 1982.
Hong Kong ranks 113th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 41 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.3% | 2.2% | 2.4% | 8 |
| 1980s | 2.3% | 1.7% | 2.6% | 6 |
| 1990s | 2.7% | 2.5% | 2.8% | 3 |
| 2000s | 4.0% | 3.3% | 4.6% | 9 |
| 2010s | 3.5% | 3.3% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.9% | 3.7% | 4.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Hong Kong
- 110 Philippines 4.0% compare
- 111 China 3.9% compare
- 112 Saint Lucia 3.8% compare
- 114 Hungary 3.8% compare
- 115 Egypt 3.8% compare
- 116 Dominican Republic 3.8% compare
More reference data data for Hong Kong
- Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 0.717 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 0.717 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 0.717 live births per woman (2023)
- Human Development Index 0.955 (2023)
- Rule of Law - Governance estimate 0.921 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Rule of Law - Governance score 72.82 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate -0.3206 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance score 51.24 0-100 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance score 76.67 0-100 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance estimate 0.6311 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Hong Kong?
- Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Hong Kong was 3.8% in 2024, 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 Hong Kong?
- The highest recorded value was 4.6% in 2004.
- What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Hong Kong?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 1982.
- How does Hong Kong rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
- Hong Kong ranks 113th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in Hong Kong?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Hong Kong 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.