Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 0.4% in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
0.4%
World rank
197th
of 199 countries
All-time high
6.1%
in 2014
All-time low
0.4%
in 2023
Years of data
5
2010–2023

Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Zimbabwe, 2010–2023

02462010201620232010: 1.5 % of GDP2012: 6.1 % of GDP2013: 6 % of GDP2014: 6.1 % of GDP2023: 0.385 % of GDP

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

Analysis

In 2023, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Zimbabwe stood at 0.4%. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 93.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Zimbabwe peaked at 6.1% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 2023.

That places Zimbabwe 197th out of 199 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 4.9% 1.5% 6.1% 4
2020s 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 1

Countries ranked near Zimbabwe

  1. 194 Lebanon 1.2% compare
  2. 195 Haiti 1.0% compare
  3. 196 Papua New Guinea 0.8% compare
  4. 198 Nigeria 0.3% compare
  5. 199 Somalia 0.0% compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More reference data data for Zimbabwe

All data for Zimbabwe →

Frequently asked questions

What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Zimbabwe?
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Zimbabwe was 0.4% 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 Zimbabwe?
The highest recorded value was 6.1% in 2014.
What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Zimbabwe?
The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 2023.
How does Zimbabwe rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
Zimbabwe ranks 197th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
Over the last ten years it is down 93.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Zimbabwe 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.