Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in New Zealand
New Zealand: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 5.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in New Zealand, 1973–2023
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 New Zealand is 5.2%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and down 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in New Zealand peaked at 6.6% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 3.4%, in 1986.
New Zealand ranks 55th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.8% | 4.5% | 5.5% | 7 |
| 1980s | 4.2% | 3.4% | 4.8% | 9 |
| 1990s | 6.2% | 5.7% | 6.6% | 5 |
| 2000s | 5.6% | 5.6% | 5.6% | 1 |
| 2010s | 5.5% | 5.2% | 5.9% | 7 |
| 2020s | 5.4% | 5.2% | 5.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More reference data data for New Zealand
- Number of child deaths per woman 0.0091 under-five deaths per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.67 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.67 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 1.67 live births per woman (2023)
- Human Development Index 0.938 (2023)
- Rule of Law - Governance estimate 1.67 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Rule of Law - Governance score 85.66 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance score 86.42 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate 1.69 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance score 85.55 0-100 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in New Zealand?
- Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in New Zealand was 5.2% 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 6.6% in 1999.
- What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.4% in 1986.
- How does New Zealand rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
- New Zealand ranks 55th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
- Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.