Share of GDP spent on education vs. share of government spending assigned to education in China
China: Share of GDP spent on education vs. share of government spending assigned to education was 11.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of GDP spent on education vs. share of government spending assigned to education in China, 1983–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
China recorded 11.9% for share of gdp spent on education vs. share of government spending assigned to education in 2023.
Over the whole period, share of gdp spent on education vs. share of government spending assigned to education in China peaked at 20.1% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 9.5%, in 1987.
China ranks 115th of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 10.1% | 9.5% | 10.7% | 6 |
| 1990s | 16.1% | 12.3% | 20.1% | 7 |
| 2020s | 11.9% | 11.9% | 11.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
- 112 Bulgaria 12.0% compare
- 113 Netherlands 12.0% compare
- 114 Azerbaijan 11.9% compare
- 116 Bangladesh 11.9% compare
- 117 United Kingdom 11.8% compare
- 118 Lithuania 11.7% compare
More economy & growth data for China
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 3.9% (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure 7.56 trillion constant 2015 US$ (2024)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure 5.0% (2024)
- Manufacturing, value added 4.82 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure per capita 5,364 constant 2015 US$ (2024)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure per capita growth 5.1% (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 9.76 trillion constant LCU (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure 4.5% (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure 10.72 trillion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure 76.41 trillion current LCU (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of gdp spent on education vs. share of government spending assigned to education in China?
- Share of gdp spent on education vs. share of government spending assigned to education in China was 11.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of gdp spent on education vs. share of government spending assigned to education recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 20.1% in 1994.
- What is the lowest share of gdp spent on education vs. share of government spending assigned to education recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.5% in 1987.
- How does China rank for share of gdp spent on education vs. share of government spending assigned to education?
- China ranks 115th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of GDP spent on education vs. share of government spending assigned to education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of total general government spending (across all sectors) that is allocated to education.