China vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Share of GDP spent on education vs. share of government spending assigned to education

China
11.9%
in 2023
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
11.8%
in 2021
China rank
115th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
117th

Share of GDP spent on education vs. share of government spending assigned to education over time

  • China
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
05101520198120022023

How they compare

China currently reports 11.9% against 11.8% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a difference of 0.1%.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 12 shared years of data; in 1983 it was United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.

China ranks 115th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 117th of 194 countries.

Across the 2 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade China United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Difference Ahead
1980s 10.1% 10.8% 0.6% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1990s 16.3% 11.7% 4.6% China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of gdp spent on education vs. share of government spending assigned to education, China or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
China, at 11.9% against 11.8% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as of 2023.
What is the difference in share of gdp spent on education vs. share of government spending assigned to education between China and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
0.1%, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
12 years are reported by both, from 1983 to 1999.
How do China and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for share of gdp spent on education vs. share of government spending assigned to education?
China ranks 115th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 117th of 194 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of GDP spent on education vs. share of government spending assigned to education. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Share of GDP spent on education vs. share of government spending assigned to education. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/compare/share-edu-spending-gdp-vs-share-edu-total-spending/china/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of GDP spent on education vs. share of government spending assigned to education
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
194 places, 4,043 data points, 1980–2025
Last refreshed

Percentage of total general government spending (across all sectors) that is allocated to education.