Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Uganda
Uganda: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 2.6% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Uganda, 1971–2022
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 Uganda is 2.6%, measured in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.8% on the previous year and up 42.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Uganda peaked at 5.1% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 1983.
That places Uganda 164th out of 199 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.2% | 2.7% | 3.4% | 5 |
| 1980s | 3.0% | 1.7% | 5.1% | 5 |
| 2000s | 3.7% | 2.5% | 5.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 2.1% | 1.7% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Uganda
More reference data data for Uganda
- Number of child deaths per woman 0.2387 under-five deaths per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 4.28 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 4.28 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 4.28 live births per woman (2023)
- Human Development Index 0.582 (2023)
- Rule of Law - Governance estimate -0.7385 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Rule of Law - Governance score 44.25 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate -1.01 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance score 39.12 0-100 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance score 48.43 0-100 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Uganda?
- Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Uganda was 2.6% 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 Uganda?
- The highest recorded value was 5.1% in 1988.
- What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Uganda?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 1983.
- How does Uganda rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
- Uganda ranks 164th out of 199 countries with data for 2022.
- Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in Uganda?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Uganda 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.