Liberia Education Spending
Government expenditure on education as % of GDP SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS
Liberia's education spending was 2.39% in 2025, ranked 139th globally. This represents a 5.5% increase from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1978–2025.
Overview
Liberia's education spending stood at 2.39% in 2025, a rise of +0.12% from 2023. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 2.39% by 2025. Liberia ranked 139th globally.
Liberia’s public expenditure on education has fallen sharply from its 1978 peak of 6.99 percent of GDP to a historic low of 1.69 percent in 2013, before modestly rebounding to 2.39 percent in 2025, placing it 139th in the world. The decline coincided with prolonged civil conflict and fiscal constraints, while the recent uptick reflects post‑conflict reconstruction efforts and donor‑financed reforms. Compared with peers of similar rank, Liberia’s 2025 spending is marginally below Panama’s 2.41 percent and Albania’s 2.34 percent, suggesting that its investment level remains slightly lagging despite the recovery. The 16‑year coverage of data underscores a persistent under‑allocation relative to regional averages, limiting improvements in school infrastructure, teacher salaries and learning outcomes. Continued fiscal consolidation, coupled with sustained external assistance and stronger domestic revenue mobilization, will be essential for Liberia to deepen its education budget and shift the trajectory toward higher human‑capital development.
Data & projection
| Year | Education Spending | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* trend | 2.42% | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 2.39% | - | - |
| 2025 | 2.39% | +0.12% | #139 |
| 2023 | 2.27% | −0.01% | #21 |
| 2022 | 2.28% | −0.15% | #20 |
| 2021 | 2.42% | +0.29% | #21 |
| 2020 | 2.14% | −0.03% | #13 |
| 2019 | 2.17% | −0.34% | #20 |
| 2018 | 2.50% | −0.16% | #27 |
| 2017 | 2.66% | +0.55% | #28 |
| 2016 | 2.11% | −0.00% | #13 |
| 2015 | 2.12% | −0.08% | #10 |
| 2014 | 2.20% | +0.51% | #13 |
| 2013 | 1.69% | −0.09% | #7 |
| 2012 | 1.78% | +0.08% | #5 |
| 2008 | 1.70% | −4.56% | #5 |
| 1980 | 6.26% | −0.74% | #55 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Liberia matched the Fiscal Dominance Trap pattern in 2008. Historically, 72% of countries showing this pattern (278 out of 386) saw education spending improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Liberia's education spending was 2.39% in 2025. Ranked 139th globally. This represents a 5.5% increase from the previous year.
Liberia's education spending peaked at 6.99% in 1978.
The lowest education spending in Liberia was 1.69% in 2013.
Liberia ranks 139th globally in education spending as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Liberia's education spending is projected to reach 2.39% by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The education spending of Liberia in 2025 was 2.39%. This ranks 139th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_liberia_education-spending-gdp,
title = {Liberia Education Spending},
url = {https://historysaid.com/liberia/education-spending-gdp/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}