Education Spending - Ranking 2020
In 2020, Somalia, Fed. Rep. (0.00%), Nigeria (0.36%), and Papua New Guinea (0.90%) ranked highest in education spending among all countries. Kiribati ranked lowest at 16.23%.
Data & analysis
- Kiribati — 16.10
- Tuvalu — 15.60
- Vanuatu — 14.53
- Marshall Islands — 11.52
- Cuba — 9.87
The 2025 World Bank data on education spending as a share of GDP reveals a striking concentration of the highest allocations among small Pacific island states, with Kiribati at 16.1% and Tuvalu at 15.6% leading the ranking. These nations, alongside Vanuatu and the Marshall Islands, likely prioritize education due to limited economic diversification and a need to build human capital in remote, resource-constrained environments. At the bottom, Zimbabwe’s negative figure of -1.6% suggests a data anomaly or severe fiscal contraction, while Somalia and Nigeria, spending near zero, reflect the enduring impact of conflict, weak state capacity, and competing infrastructure demands. The 2025 snapshot underscores how geography and governance shape investment priorities. Future shifts in this leaderboard may occur as emerging economies like India or Indonesia increase education budgets to compete in global labor markets, or as climate-related pressures force Pacific states to reallocate funds toward adaptation.
| Rank | Country | Value | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|