Libya Education Spending
Government expenditure on education as % of GDP SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS
Libya's education spending was 2.26% in 1999, ranked 16th globally. This represents a 45.1% decrease from 1998. Data from World Bank, covering 1976–1999.
Overview
Libya's education spending stood at 2.26% in 1999, a decline of +1.86% from 1977. Libya ranked 16th globally.
Libya’s public expenditure on education fell sharply between the mid‑1970s and the end of the 1990s, declining from an all‑time peak of 4.64 percent of GDP in 1976 to a trough of 2.26 percent in 1999, the lowest level among the 16 countries with comparable data. This 2.38‑percentage‑point drop represents a reduction of more than one‑half of the share devoted to schooling, positioning Libya at rank 16 globally for the latest year. By contrast, peers such as Armenia (2.24 percent) and Mali (2.23 percent) were marginally below Libya’s 1999 figure, suggesting that the Libyan decline outpaced typical regional patterns. The three‑year coverage of the World Bank series limits insight into subsequent fluctuations, but the historical downward trajectory implies that without renewed policy emphasis or increased fiscal capacity, education spending is likely to remain constrained. Future improvements would require a reversal of the long‑term fiscal trend, potentially through reforms that prioritize human capital development.
Data & projection
| Year | Education Spending | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 2.26% | −1.86% | #16 |
| 1977 | 4.12% | −0.51% | #22 |
| 1976 | 4.64% | – | #29 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Libya matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2017. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw education spending improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Libya's education spending was 2.26% in 1999. Ranked 16th globally. This represents a 45.1% decrease from the previous year.
Libya's education spending peaked at 4.64% in 1976.
The lowest education spending in Libya was 2.26% in 1999.
Libya ranks 16th globally in education spending as of 1999.
The World Bank indicator code is SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
The education spending of Libya in 1999 was 2.26%. This ranks 16th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_libya_education-spending-gdp,
title = {Libya Education Spending},
url = {https://historysaid.com/libya/education-spending-gdp/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}