Barbados Education Spending
Government expenditure on education as % of GDP SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS
Barbados's education spending was 3.56% in 2025, ranked 97th globally. This represents a 0.2% increase from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1971–2025.
Overview
Barbados's education spending stood at 3.56% in 2025, a rise of +0.01% from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 3.56% by 2025. Barbados ranked 97th globally.
Barbados’ public expenditure on education has fallen sharply from an early‑era high of 7.52 percent of GDP in 1974 to a trough of 3.56 percent in 2024, the lowest level recorded in the 32‑year series and ranking it 97th globally in 2025. The decline is especially stark when contrasted with the 6.15 percent share recorded in 1971, indicating a more than one‑half reduction in the proportion of resources devoted to schooling over five decades. By 2025 the island’s spending is only marginally below Kenya’s 3.59 percent and closely aligns with Hong Kong SAR, China’s 3.53 percent, suggesting that Barbados now clusters with lower‑spending economies rather than its historically higher‑spending peers. The persistent downward trajectory reflects fiscal pressures and competing policy priorities, and unless the government reverses this pattern through targeted budget reforms or external funding, the share of GDP allocated to education is likely to remain at or near current levels in the near term.
Data & projection
| Year | Education Spending | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027* trend | 3.30% | - | - |
| 2026* trend | 3.43% | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 3.56% | - | - |
| 2025 | 3.56% | +0.01% | #97 |
| 2024 | 3.56% | −0.22% | #6 |
| 2023 | 3.78% | −0.36% | #63 |
| 2022 | 4.14% | −0.36% | #86 |
| 2021 | 4.50% | +0.63% | #89 |
| 2020 | 3.87% | +0.14% | #63 |
| 2019 | 3.72% | −1.68% | #69 |
| 2018 | 5.40% | +1.45% | #134 |
| 2017 | 3.96% | −0.24% | #81 |
| 2016 | 4.20% | −0.96% | #78 |
| 2015 | 5.16% | −0.20% | #119 |
| 2014 | 5.36% | +0.86% | #117 |
| 2013 | 4.50% | −0.09% | #83 |
| 2012 | 4.59% | −1.46% | #88 |
| 2010 | 6.05% | +0.94% | #115 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Barbados matched the Stagflation Risk pattern in 2011. Historically, 38% of countries showing this pattern (117 out of 307) saw education spending improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Barbados's education spending was 3.56% in 2025. Ranked 97th globally. This represents a 0.2% increase from the previous year.
Barbados's education spending peaked at 7.52% in 1974.
The lowest education spending in Barbados was 3.56% in 2024.
Barbados ranks 97th globally in education spending as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Barbados's education spending is projected to reach 3.56% by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The education spending of Barbados in 2025 was 3.56%. This ranks 97th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_barbados_education-spending-gdp,
title = {Barbados Education Spending},
url = {https://historysaid.com/barbados/education-spending-gdp/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}