In recent years, education funding in the European Union and further afield has come under increasing scrutiny.
The stats are in
The article shows that in 2023, Greece allocated 8% of total government expenditure, with Italy coming in just below at 7.3%.
Meanwhile, at the top of the rankings are countries such as Sweden, which allocates 14.6%, Estonia (14.5%) and Latvia (14.0%).
The average percentage of government expenditure invested in education in 2023 across the whole of the EU’s 27 countries was 9.6%.
According to Statista, the UK’s investment in the same year was 4.2%, down from its highest figure of 5.7% in 2009-10. And Our World in Data shows figures demonstrating Canada’s spend of 4.5% in 2023 and the USA’s allocation of 5.4% in 2022.
Future implications
Under‑investment in education has long‑term implications for all countries in the context of global progress, competition and technological changes.
Without the necessary planning and funding, there is a risk of not being able to provide young people with the skills they need that could help their country progress and develop its national prosperity. Governments everywhere should be taking note.
References
- Greece’s Education Spending Remains Among Lowest in EU. Available at: https://greekreporter.com/2025/12/02/greece-education-spending-lowest-eu/ (Accessed 2 December 2025)
- Education expenditure as a share of GDP in the United Kingdom from 1955/56 to 2024/25. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/302002/uk-education-spending-as-a-share-of-gdp/ (Accessed 2 December 2025)
- Public spending on education as a share of GDP. Available at: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/total-government-expenditure-on-education-gdp (Accessed 2 December 2025)
