Countries spending the least on education, as a percentage of GDP, often include nations facing extreme poverty or conflict, with reports highlighting countries like Equatorial Guinea, Myanmar, the Central African Republic, and Haiti having very low percentages (often below 1-2% of GDP) in recent years, though exact rankings fluctuate with data. These figures represent government expenditure, and actual investment can vary greatly by year and specific data sources.
Public spending on education, percent of GDP, 2021:
The average for 2021 based on 19 countries was 3.97 percent. The highest value was in Sierra Leone: 9.44 percent and the lowest value was in Haiti: 1.24 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023.
Notably, eight states exceeded $25,000 per student in 2023: New York, New Jersey, Vermont ($29,169 per student), Connecticut ($28,975), Pennsylvania ($26,242), California ($25,941), Rhode Island ($25,709), and Hawaii ($25,485). The lowest-spending state, Idaho, was the only state spending less than $12,000 per student.
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In the 2022–23 financial year: Total recurrent government funding for schooling was $85.92 billion.
Australia's higher education system ranks third globally, trailing only the United States and the United Kingdom.
Public schools will be underfunded by $888 million in 2034. Underfunding will be over $1.8 billion a year up to 2028 and remain well over $1 billion each year until 2034. The cumulative underfunding over the ten years is estimated at $20 billion.
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South Sudan is widely considered the poorest country in the world in 2025-2026, consistently ranking first due to extremely low GDP per capita and a high percentage (over 80%) of its population living in extreme poverty, driven by prolonged civil conflict, displacement, and disruption of its agricultural economy. Other nations frequently cited as among the poorest include Burundi, the Central African Republic, and Yemen, also suffering from conflict and instability.
1. West Virginia. West Virginia ranks last in educational attainment nationally, having the lowest share of adults with a bachelor's degree (around 20 percent). Its high school completion rate (about 89 percent of adults) is slightly below the U.S. average (about 89.7 percent).
Norway reported the highest total expenditures on education institutions as a percentage of GDP (6.6 percent), followed by Chile (6.5 percent), Israel (6.2 percent), Australia (6.1 percent), and the United Kingdom and the United States (both 6.0 percent).
California's largest spending areas per capita were public welfare ($4,231) and elementary and secondary education ($2,797). The Census Bureau includes most Medicaid spending in public welfare but also allocates some of it to public hospitals.
Key Takeaways. America's education system ranks above that of many countries in literacy, mathematics and science achievement. However, it's far lower than one would expect considering the nation's standing in the world. Other developed countries' education systems are outperforming that of the United States.
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Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) in Sweden was reported at 7.3191 % in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources.
But despite the economic uptick of recent years, Tasmania is still the poorest Australian state.
The richest country by GDP (PPP) per capita is often cited as Singapore, followed closely by Luxembourg, depending on the specific report and year, with Singapore leading in 2025 estimates with around $156,000-$157,000 per person, while Luxembourg is a strong contender just below that, highlighting small, finance-heavy economies as wealthiest per person.
Australia ranks highly globally for education, particularly in higher education where its system is considered third strongest (after the US & UK), with many universities in top 100/50 subject rankings. For K-12, Australian students perform well in PISA tests, ranking in the top 10 for reading, science, and math in recent assessments, though system-wide proficiency varies, notes the ABC News. Overall, Australia is a top destination for international students and boasts a highly educated population, per the Australian Government DFAT and Secret Brisbane.
Chad. Fewer than 34% of students in Chad are expected to complete primary school as of 2023. That rate is even lower in rural areas, where children are just 19% likely to complete primary school. Of the 8.3 expected years of schooling, the average student only completes 2.3.
The Australian education system faces criticism for being an outdated, industrial-era model focused on standardized testing, leading to declining literacy/numeracy, disengagement, and a lack of critical thinking, exacerbated by severe teacher shortages, underfunding in public schools, widening equity gaps (especially for Indigenous students), and a curriculum deemed behind international standards, failing to equip students for modern challenges.
The richest private school in Australia, based on the highest Year 12 tuition fees, is consistently Geelong Grammar School (Victoria), with fees exceeding $55,000 for 2026, followed closely by prestigious Sydney schools like The Scots College and Cranbrook School, while SCEGGS Darlinghurst has the nation's wealthiest parents (highest median family income). These schools represent the peak of private education costs and family wealth, although they also receive significant government funding despite their high fees and affluent communities, notes Save Our Schools.
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