Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Syria

Syria: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 5.1% in 2009. ▲ Rising

Latest (2009)
5.1%
Change on year
up 11.6%
World rank
61st
of 199 countries
All-time high
6.5%
in 2003
All-time low
3.6%
in 1972
Years of data
25
1972–2009

Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Syria, 1972–2009

02461972199020091972: 3.6 % of GDP1973: 3.7 % of GDP1975: 3.9 % of GDP1976: 5.8 % of GDP1977: 5.7 % of GDP1978: 5.5 % of GDP1979: 5 % of GDP1980: 4.6 % of GDP1981: 5.4 % of GDP1982: 5.9 % of GDP1984: 6.1 % of GDP1985: 6.1 % of GDP1986: 5.6 % of GDP1987: 4.6 % of GDP1988: 3.6 % of GDP1989: 4 % of GDP1996: 3.7 % of GDP2001: 4.5 % of GDP2002: 5.3 % of GDP2003: 6.5 % of GDP2004: 5.4 % of GDP2006: 5.3 % of GDP2007: 4.9 % of GDP2008: 4.6 % of GDP2009: 5.1 % of GDP

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

In 2009, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Syria stood at 5.1%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.6% on the previous year and up 12.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Syria peaked at 6.5% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 3.6%, in 1972.

That places Syria 61st out of 199 countries with data for 2009, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 4.7% 3.6% 5.8% 7
1980s 5.1% 3.6% 6.1% 9
1990s 3.7% 3.7% 3.7% 1
2000s 5.2% 4.5% 6.5% 8

Countries ranked near Syria

  1. 58 Netherlands 5.2% compare
  2. 59 Maldives 5.2% compare
  3. 60 Ukraine 5.1% compare
  4. 62 Grenada 5.1% compare
  5. 63 Australia 5.1% compare
  6. 64 Belarus 5.0% compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More reference data data for Syria

All data for Syria →

Frequently asked questions

What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Syria?
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Syria was 5.1% in 2009, 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 Syria?
The highest recorded value was 6.5% in 2003.
What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Syria?
The lowest recorded value was 3.6% in 1972.
How does Syria rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
Syria ranks 61st out of 199 countries with data for 2009.
Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in Syria?
Over the last ten years it is up 12.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Syria 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.