General government spending on education in Bangladesh was 2.03% of GDP in 2024. In 1999 it was 2.13%. In the years with data in between, it has stayed close to 2%, peaking at 2.20% in 2007.
2.13% → 2.03%
Government expenditure on education as a share of GDP, 1999 to 2024.
A share of GDP that stays level means public spending on education has broadly moved in step with the size of the economy rather than gaining priority within it.
Policy discussion about education quality, teacher training and learning outcomes in Bangladesh depends on how much the public purse commits. A series that has moved sideways for a quarter of a century is a useful starting point for that debate.
One caveat: the series, compiled by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, has isolated dips in 2016 (1.28%) and 2019 (1.13%) that sit far from the neighbouring years, which may reflect differences in reporting rather than real cuts. The long-run picture is the more reliable reading.
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via World Bank WDI (SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS).