Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 5.9% in 2021. ▬ Flat
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in United Kingdom, 1971–2021
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 United Kingdom is 5.9%, measured in 2021.
That represents a change of up 8.6% on the previous year and up 6.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in United Kingdom peaked at 6.4% in 1976 and was at its lowest, 4.0%, in 1999.
That places United Kingdom 32nd out of 199 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.7% | 5.0% | 6.4% | 7 |
| 1980s | 4.7% | 4.1% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.3% | 4.0% | 4.9% | 8 |
| 2000s | 4.7% | 4.0% | 5.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.5% | 5.2% | 5.7% | 9 |
| 2020s | 5.7% | 5.4% | 5.9% | 2 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More reference data data for United Kingdom
- Number of child deaths per woman 0.0088 under-five deaths per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.56 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.56 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 1.56 live births per woman (2023)
- Human Development Index 0.946 (2023)
- Rule of Law - Governance estimate 1.27 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Rule of Law - Governance score 78.82 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance score 79.61 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate 1.3 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance score 70.3 0-100 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in United Kingdom?
- Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in United Kingdom was 5.9% in 2021, 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 6.4% in 1976.
- What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.0% in 1999.
- How does United Kingdom rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
- United Kingdom ranks 32nd out of 199 countries with data for 2021.
- Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.