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Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Italy

Italy: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 4.1% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
4.1%
Change on year
down 2.5%
World rank
106th
of 199 countries
All-time high
4.8%
in 1984
All-time low
2.9%
in 1971
Years of data
41
1970–2022

Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Italy, 1970–2022

0123451970199620221970: 3.4 % of GDP1971: 2.9 % of GDP1974: 3.8 % of GDP1975: 3.7 % of GDP1976: 3.9 % of GDP1978: 3.8 % of GDP1979: 4.2 % of GDP1983: 4.5 % of GDP1984: 4.8 % of GDP1985: 4.7 % of GDP1986: 4.6 % of GDP1988: 4.6 % of GDP1993: 4.7 % of GDP1994: 4.4 % of GDP1995: 4.3 % of GDP1996: 4.4 % of GDP1998: 4.4 % of GDP1999: 4.5 % of GDP2000: 4.3 % of GDP2001: 4.6 % of GDP2002: 4.4 % of GDP2003: 4.5 % of GDP2004: 4.4 % of GDP2005: 4.2 % of GDP2006: 4.5 % of GDP2007: 4.1 % of GDP2008: 4.4 % of GDP2009: 4.5 % of GDP2010: 4.3 % of GDP2011: 4.1 % of GDP2012: 4 % of GDP2013: 4.1 % of GDP2014: 4 % of GDP2015: 4.1 % of GDP2016: 3.8 % of GDP2017: 4 % of GDP2018: 4.2 % of GDP2019: 4.1 % of GDP2020: 4.4 % of GDP2021: 4.2 % of GDP2022: 4.1 % 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 Italy is 4.1%, measured in 2022.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.5% on the previous year and up 0.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Italy peaked at 4.8% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 2.9%, in 1971.

Italy ranks 106th 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

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 3.7% 2.9% 4.2% 7
1980s 4.6% 4.5% 4.8% 5
1990s 4.5% 4.3% 4.7% 6
2000s 4.4% 4.1% 4.6% 10
2010s 4.1% 3.8% 4.3% 10
2020s 4.2% 4.1% 4.4% 3

Countries ranked near Italy

  1. 103 Croatia 4.1% compare
  2. 104 Niger 4.1% compare
  3. 105 Zambia 4.1% compare
  4. 107 Mexico 4.1% compare
  5. 108 Kenya 4.0% compare
  6. 109 Georgia 4.0% compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More reference data data for Italy

All data for Italy →

Frequently asked questions

What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Italy?
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Italy 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 Italy?
The highest recorded value was 4.8% in 1984.
What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Italy?
The lowest recorded value was 2.9% in 1971.
How does Italy rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
Italy ranks 106th out of 199 countries with data for 2022.
Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in Italy?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Italy 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.