Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Jamaica
Jamaica: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 5.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Jamaica, 1973–2024
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 Jamaica is 5.5%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 2.5% on the previous year and down 8.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Jamaica peaked at 6.4% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 3.2%, in 1993.
That places Jamaica 36th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 41 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.0% | 3.6% | 6.0% | 5 |
| 1980s | 4.8% | 3.9% | 5.4% | 4 |
| 1990s | 3.9% | 3.2% | 4.8% | 8 |
| 2000s | 5.2% | 3.9% | 6.2% | 9 |
| 2010s | 5.8% | 5.2% | 6.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.5% | 5.4% | 5.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
More reference data data for Jamaica
- Number of child deaths per woman 0.0338 under-five deaths per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 1.36 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.36 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.36 live births per woman (2023)
- Human Development Index 0.72 (2023)
- Rule of Law - Governance estimate -0.0777 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Rule of Law - Governance score 55.63 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance score 65.34 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate 0.4852 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance estimate 0.4768 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Jamaica?
- Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Jamaica was 5.5% 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 Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 6.4% in 2010.
- What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.2% in 1993.
- How does Jamaica rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
- Jamaica ranks 36th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Jamaica 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.