Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Liberia
Liberia: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 2.3% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Liberia, 1978–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Liberia recorded 2.3% for government spending on education overall vs. primary education in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and up 34.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Liberia peaked at 7.0% in 1978 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 2013.
That places Liberia 174th out of 199 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.0% | 7.0% | 7.0% | 1 |
| 1980s | 6.3% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1 |
| 2010s | 2.2% | 1.7% | 2.7% | 8 |
| 2020s | 2.3% | 2.1% | 2.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Liberia
More reference data data for Liberia
- Number of child deaths per woman 0.3516 under-five deaths per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 3.95 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 3.95 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 3.95 live births per woman (2023)
- Human Development Index 0.51 (2023)
- Rule of Law - Governance estimate -0.868 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Rule of Law - Governance score 42.03 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance score 54.89 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate -0.1118 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance estimate -0.2285 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Liberia?
- Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Liberia was 2.3% 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 Liberia?
- The highest recorded value was 7.0% in 1978.
- What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Liberia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 2013.
- How does Liberia rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
- Liberia ranks 174th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
- Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in Liberia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Liberia 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.