Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in India
India: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 4.1% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in India, 1997–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2022, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in India stood at 4.1%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.5% on the previous year and up 6.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in India peaked at 4.6% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 3.1%, in 2006.
India ranks 102nd of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.8% | 3.4% | 4.4% | 3 |
| 2000s | 3.5% | 3.1% | 4.3% | 6 |
| 2010s | 4.0% | 3.4% | 4.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.3% | 4.1% | 4.6% | 3 |
Countries ranked near India
More reference data data for India
- Number of child deaths per woman 0.0574 under-five deaths per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 1.98 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.98 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.98 live births per woman (2023)
- Human Development Index 0.685 (2023)
- Rule of Law - Governance estimate -0.0392 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Rule of Law - Governance score 56.29 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate -0.0789 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance score 55.47 0-100 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance score 52.47 0-100 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in India?
- Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in India was 4.1% in 2022, 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 4.6% in 2021.
- What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.1% in 2006.
- How does India rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
- India ranks 102nd out of 199 countries with data for 2022.
- Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India 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.