The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has commended India for investing up to 4.6% of its GDP in education.
Photo: PTI
According to the latest reports from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics on global education statistics, India allocated approximately 4.1% to 4.6% of its GDP to education between 2015 and 2024.
This commitment keeps India in line with international standards outlined in the "Education 2030 Framework for Action," which recommends that countries devote 4-6% of their GDP to education.
During this same timeframe, India’s government expenditure on education fluctuated between 13.5% and 17.2%, as noted in the reports.
This spending aligns with the Education 2030 target, which encourages governments to allocate 15-20% of their public spending to education.
UNESCO's reports provide a comprehensive analysis of global education investment trends, particularly in relation to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education.
India's investment in education remains consistent
According to the report, India's investment in education has remained stable and aligns with international benchmarks, surpassing some neighboring countries in both GDP percentage and government expenditure.
In comparison to other Central and Southern Asian nations, India allocates a greater portion of its GDP and government budget to education, diverging from the global trend of decreasing average investments.
The report also highlights that while South Asian countries like Nepal and Bhutan dedicate approximately 4-6 percent of their GDP to education, countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan lag significantly in both spending and resource allocation.
In 2022, India's education expenditure as a percentage of GDP in Central and Southern Asia ranked just below Bhutan (7.5 percent), Kazakhstan (7.2 percent), Maldives (4.7 percent), Tajikistan (5.7 percent), and Uzbekistan (5.2 percent).
Notably, when considering the entire Asian continent, India's education spending exceeds that of countries like China and Japan.
On a global scale, public expenditure on education has declined, dropping from 13.2 percent in 2010 to 12.5 percent in 2020, with a significant reduction following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Statement
“As a percentage of total expenditure, the world average is in decline. Central and Southern Asia countries invest more in comparison with investment in 2010s. A decline is noted in other regions,” the report said.
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