Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Mexico

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

Latest (2022)
4.1%
Change on year
down 4.2%
World rank
107th
of 199 countries
All-time high
5.1%
in 2014
All-time low
2.3%
in 1989
Years of data
30
1989–2022

Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Mexico, 1989–2022

02461989200520221989: 2.3 % of GDP1990: 2.3 % of GDP1991: 2.5 % of GDP1992: 3 % of GDP1994: 3.5 % of GDP1995: 3.5 % of GDP1998: 3.2 % of GDP1999: 3.4 % of GDP2000: 3.8 % of GDP2001: 4 % of GDP2002: 4.2 % of GDP2003: 4.8 % of GDP2004: 4.5 % of GDP2005: 4.6 % of GDP2006: 4.5 % of GDP2007: 4.5 % of GDP2008: 4.6 % of GDP2009: 4.9 % of GDP2010: 4.9 % of GDP2011: 4.9 % of GDP2012: 4.9 % of GDP2013: 4.5 % of GDP2014: 5.1 % of GDP2015: 5.1 % of GDP2016: 4.8 % of GDP2017: 4.4 % of GDP2018: 4.1 % of GDP2020: 4.5 % 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

In 2022, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Mexico stood at 4.1%.

The figure is down 4.2% on the previous year and down 16.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Mexico peaked at 5.1% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 2.3%, in 1989.

Mexico ranks 107th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 30 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 2.3% 2.3% 2.3% 1
1990s 3.1% 2.3% 3.5% 7
2000s 4.5% 3.8% 4.9% 10
2010s 4.7% 4.1% 5.1% 9
2020s 4.3% 4.1% 4.5% 3

Countries ranked near Mexico

  1. 104 Niger 4.1% compare
  2. 105 Zambia 4.1% compare
  3. 106 Italy 4.1% compare
  4. 108 Kenya 4.0% compare
  5. 109 Georgia 4.0% compare
  6. 110 Philippines 4.0% compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More reference data data for Mexico

All data for Mexico →

Frequently asked questions

What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Mexico?
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Mexico 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 Mexico?
The highest recorded value was 5.1% in 2014.
What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Mexico?
The lowest recorded value was 2.3% in 1989.
How does Mexico rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
Mexico ranks 107th out of 199 countries with data for 2022.
Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in Mexico?
Over the last ten years it is down 16.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Mexico 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.