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No formal education -

Did you know that, according to the Wittgenstein Centre, about 10% of the world’s population has no formal education?

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Hundreds of millions without education -

What does this mean in practical terms? Today, there are hundreds of millions of people who have never completed a first grade education.

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Secondary education -

In contrast, nearly 40% of the world’s population has at least completed secondary education, referring to the standard 12th grade level of education. 

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Higher education -

Only 14% of the world population has obtained higher education, meaning college or university degrees.

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Benefits of higher education -

Those with higher levels of education often experience great benefits, not just in terms of job accessibility, but also in terms of statistics related to health and well-being.

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Longest time in education systems -

Citizens of countries like Australia, New Zealand, and Greece spend the longest time in their nations’ education systems.

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Least amount of time in education systems -

In contrast, countries like South Sudan, Niger, and Mali spend the least amount of years in their nations’ education systems.

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Global investment -

According to Al Jazeera, in 2020, the entire world spent about US$5 trillion on education worldwide. This equates to just over 4% of the global GDP.

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Figures in perspective -

To put the global figure into perspective, it’s worth noting that in that same year, the world spent US$9 trillion on health initiatives and US$2 trillion on defense.

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Which countries spend the most and the least on education? -

So, which 10 countries are dedicating the highest percentage of their GDP to education? And which 10 countries are spending the least? Let's start with the biggest investors. 

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10. Nauru -

The Micronesian nation of Nauru is the 10th-largest spender in education in terms of GDP percentage. The country invests nearly 8% of its GDP into its educational system. 

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9. Botswana -

The Southern African nation of Botswana is one of the world's biggest spenders in education. The nation dedicates 8.1% of its GDP to its national education system.  

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8. Solomon Islands -

The Solomon Islands consists of a number of islands in the South Pacific. The nation is the eighth-biggest spender on education in the world, dedicating 8.3% of its GDP to education. 

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7. Namibia -

The Southwestern African country of Namibia is the seventh-largest spender on education in the world. The nation dedicates 9% of its GDP to education. Education is free and mandatory until the age of 16.

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6. Cuba -

The Cuban government places great emphasis on education, particularly valuing literacy. It's both free and mandatory for every citizen until age 16. The Caribbean island spends 9.4% of its GDP on education. 

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5. Micronesia -

Micronesia has one of the highest literacy rates in the world among adults. All public education is free there. The Pacific nation dedicates 10.5% of its GDP to education. 

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4. Vanuatu -

The Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu is one of the world's top spenders in education. Although the country struggles with high drop out rates, it has invested more resources to address the issue. The country dedicates 10.6% of its GDP to its educational system. 

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3. Tuvalu -

The South Pacific nation of Tuvalu is the third-largest spender in education worldwide. Primary school education is compulsory, but the nation struggles with high dropout rates in secondary education. Tuvalu spends 12.8% of its GDP on education. 

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2. Republic of Kiribati -

The Republic of Kiribati, a small island nation located in the central Pacific Ocean, is the second-highest spender on education in the world. Education is free and mandatory until age 14. The nation dedicates 14.2% of its GDP to education. 

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1. American Samoa -

The nation that spends the highest percentage on education worldwide is American Samoa, a US territory in the South Pacific. American Samoa spends 14.7% of its GDP on education. Now, let's move on to the countries that spend the least on education. 

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10. Lebanon -

Lebanon, a Levant country in the Middle East, is one of the countries that spends the least on its education system. The public school system in Lebanon has, over the years, lost recognition with the rise of private schooling. Lebanon spends 1.7% of its GDP on education.

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9. South Sudan -

South Sudan faces many challenges in national education, particularly due to the hostile conditions of the prolonged conflict. Low literacy rates accompany low registration of children in school, particularly girls. The nation spends 1.6% of its GDP on schooling. 

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8. Cayman Islands -

The Cayman Islands are one of the world's lowest spenders in terms of education. Despite the low expenditure, education is free and mandatory up to the age of 16 and the literacy rate is 98%. The nation spends 1.5% of its GDP on education. 

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7. Papua New Guinea -

Papua New Guinea dedicates 1.3% of its GDP to education. The nation's literacy rate is 67%, while just over 50% of the population has ever attended school. 

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6. Haiti -

In Haiti, the enrollment rate for primary schools is 88%, but secondary school enrollment is only 20%. The nation's political and socio-economic crises, as well as increased gang violence, have likely contributed to a degradation of the nation's schooling system. The nation spends 1.3% of its GDP on education. 

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5. Indonesia -

Although Indonesia only spends 1.3% of its GDP on education, it has one of the largest school systems in the world. Education is compulsory for 12 years, with over 52 million students enrolled. 

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4. Monaco -

Although Monaco only invests 1.2% of its GDP in education, the nation's literacy rate is 99%. The education system is modeled after the French system and is free and mandatory for children up to age 16. 

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3. Laos -

The Southeast Asia nation of Laos spends 1.2% of its GDP on education. Primary education is compulsory, but only 71% of children in this age group are enrolled. The literacy rate is 87%. 

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2. Nigeria -

The West African nation of Nigeria spends a mere 0.3% of its GDP on education. Although primary education is both free and mandatory, only 61% of children in this age group attend school. The situation is particularly bleak for girls, as half of the nation's girls never attend school at all. 

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1. Armenia -

Armenia spends the least on education of all countries in the world. The nation dedicates 0.2% of its GDP to its education system. Only 60% of its population completes secondary education, a lower percentage than the nation's neighbors. Despite this, the nation's literacy rate is registered at 99%. 

Sources: (Al Jazeera) (National Statistical Office) (THIMAR) (Monaco Now) (WENR) (Schools for Haiti) (UNICEF) (World Bank Group) (World Population Review)

See also: Why girls' education is so important to society

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