Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Nauru

Nauru: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 5.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
5.8%
Change on year
down 2.4%
World rank
34th
of 199 countries
All-time high
15.9%
in 2002
All-time low
4.2%
in 2007
Years of data
12
2002–2023

Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Nauru, 2002–2023

57.51012.5152002201220232002: 15.9 % of GDP2007: 4.2 % of GDP2014: 4.5 % of GDP2015: 6.3 % of GDP2016: 4.8 % of GDP2017: 6.3 % of GDP2018: 5.1 % of GDP2019: 5.7 % of GDP2020: 5.9 % of GDP2021: 5.2 % of GDP2022: 5.9 % of GDP2023: 5.8 % 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 Nauru is 5.8%, measured in 2023.

The figure is down 2.4% on the previous year and up 29.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Nauru peaked at 15.9% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 4.2%, in 2007.

That places Nauru 34th out of 199 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 10.1% 4.2% 15.9% 2
2010s 5.4% 4.5% 6.3% 6
2020s 5.7% 5.2% 5.9% 4

Countries ranked near Nauru

  1. 31 Israel 5.9% compare
  2. 32 United Kingdom 5.9% compare
  3. 33 Bhutan 5.8% compare
  4. 35 Brazil 5.6% compare
  5. 36 Jamaica 5.5% compare
  6. 37 Uzbekistan 5.5% compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More reference data data for Nauru

All data for Nauru →

Frequently asked questions

What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Nauru?
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Nauru was 5.8% 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 Nauru?
The highest recorded value was 15.9% in 2002.
What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Nauru?
The lowest recorded value was 4.2% in 2007.
How does Nauru rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
Nauru ranks 34th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in Nauru?
Over the last ten years it is up 29.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Nauru 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.