The scorecard concludes that, on average, countries are “moving away” from the public education expenditure benchmarks of at least 4% of GDP or 15% of total public expenditure. NEW DELHI: India remains just above Unesco’s minimum GDP benchmark for education, but the sector’s share in government spending has slipped below the prescribed threshold. Education accounts for 4.1% of GDP but 14.2% of total public expenditure, down from 15.7% in 2015 and below the 15% benchmark, Unesco’s 2026 SDG 4 scorecard has shown.The funding picture assumes significance because India continues to lag on secondary school completion. Its latest lower secondary (Classes VI-VIII) completion rate is 86% as against its 99% national benchmark for 2025, while upper secondary (Classes IX-XII) completion rate is 51% as against 84%. Unesco classifies progress at both levels as slow.Under the Education 2030 framework, countries committed to spending 4-6% of GDP and/or 15-20% of public expenditure on education. The scorecard uses the lower thresholds as minimum benchmarks. India meets one. Its spending on education has remained at 4.1% of GDP since 2015, but its share of public expenditure has declined 1.5 percentage points to 14.2%.Among major emerging economies, China too meets one benchmark, at 4% of GDP (11.9% of public spending), while figures for Brazil are 5.6% and 12.9%. South Africa meets both, at 6% and 19.1%, while Indonesia, Bangladesh and Pakistan meet neither.The pattern is common among developed economies too: the US, UK, Germany and France meet the GDP threshold but not the public expenditure benchmark, while Sweden and Switzerland meet both.Unesco noted that richer countries tend to meet the GDP benchmark but not the public expenditure threshold because they raise more revenue, while education often accounts for a larger share of budgets in poorer countries.Latest data show 39 of 205 countries, or 19%, meeting both benchmarks, while 72, or 35%, meet neither. Another 64 countries, including India, spend above 4% of GDP but below 15% of public expenditure. Among high-income countries, 11% meet both benchmarks and 50% follow India’s pattern.India, however, has larger unmet schooling needs. Lower secondary completion has risen from 81% in 2015 to 86% but remains 13 percentage points below its 99% benchmark. Even Unesco’s “feasible” 2025 benchmark of 90% is four points above the latest rate.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThis is despite programmes operating at scale. Unesco’s India profile says Samagra Shiksha supports about 15.6 crore learners, while PM-Poshan covers around 11.8 crore children in 11.2 lakh government and aided schools. The trend is part of a broader global concern. The scorecard concludes that, on average, countries are “moving away” from the public education expenditure benchmarks of at least 4% of GDP or 15% of total public expenditure.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorManash Pratim GohainManash Pratim Gohain is a seasoned journalist with over two decades at The Times of India, where he has built a rich body of work spanning education policy, politics, and governance. Renowned for his incisive coverage of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, accreditation reforms, and skilling initiatives, he has also reported on student politics, urban policy, and social movements. His political reportage—both reflective and news-driven—adds depth to his writing, bridging policy with public impact. Through his 2,500 articles and related outlets, he has emerged as a trusted voice in national discourse, particularly in linking education reform to broader societal change.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosWATCH: Uttarakhand Innovator’s Electric Flying Vehicle Takes Maiden Test FlightUPI To Remain Free For Users, But Some Merchants May Face Nominal Fees In Future: GovtArunachal CM Rejects Chinese Encroachment As India Assigns Official Names To 27 Places‘If You Don’t Kill My Husband, I Will’: Telangana Man Uncovers Wife’s Shocking Chats With Lover‘Brahmins Joining BSP’: Mayawati SLAMS Akhilesh Yadav Over PDA’s ‘P Change’ From Pichhde To Pandit‘I Am Proud Of All Of You’: PM Modi’s Big Msg To Students At First Public Speech After CJP ProtestsKashmir Tourist Security To Get Major Upgrade With CCTV, Command Centres And Security AuditsUS Senate Passes Russia Sanctions Bill, India Faces Potential 100% Tariff Over Russian Oil Purchases’Did We Fail To Listen’: Tharoor Admits CJP Protest Resonated More Than Congress ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’JPSC Protest Enters Day 14: Students Demand Exam Cancellation, CBI Probe After First Talks With Govt123PhotostoriesHow Sridevi turned the chiffon saree into Bollywood’s most iconic fashion statement10 unique baby girl names inspired by rare and lesser-known flowersFrom pig trotters to sprouting mushrooms: 5 bizarre luxury shoes breaking the internetOptical illusion personality test: What you spot first says everything about your hidden desiresRed or white patch in your mouth that won’t go away? 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NEW DELHI: India remains just above Unesco’s minimum GDP benchmark for education, but the sector’s share in government spending has slipped below the prescribed threshold. Education accounts for 4.1% of GDP but 14.2% of total public expenditure, down from 15.7% in 2015 and below the 15% benchmark, Unesco’s 2026 SDG 4 scorecard has shown.The funding picture assumes significance because India continues to lag on secondary school completion. Its latest lower secondary (Classes VI-VIII) completion rate is 86% as against its 99% national benchmark for 2025, while upper secondary (Classes IX-XII) completion rate is 51% as against 84%. Unesco classifies progress at both levels as slow.Under the Education 2030 framework, countries committed to spending 4-6% of GDP and/or 15-20% of public expenditure on education. The scorecard uses the lower thresholds as minimum benchmarks. India meets one. Its spending on education has remained at 4.1% of GDP since 2015, but its share of public expenditure has declined 1.5 percentage points to 14.2%.Among major emerging economies, China too meets one benchmark, at 4% of GDP (11.9% of public spending), while figures for Brazil are 5.6% and 12.9%. South Africa meets both, at 6% and 19.1%, while Indonesia, Bangladesh and Pakistan meet neither.The pattern is common among developed economies too: the US, UK, Germany and France meet the GDP threshold but not the public expenditure benchmark, while Sweden and Switzerland meet both.Unesco noted that richer countries tend to meet the GDP benchmark but not the public expenditure threshold because they raise more revenue, while education often accounts for a larger share of budgets in poorer countries.Latest data show 39 of 205 countries, or 19%, meeting both benchmarks, while 72, or 35%, meet neither. Another 64 countries, including India, spend above 4% of GDP but below 15% of public expenditure. Among high-income countries, 11% meet both benchmarks and 50% follow India’s pattern.India, however, has larger unmet schooling needs. Lower secondary completion has risen from 81% in 2015 to 86% but remains 13 percentage points below its 99% benchmark. Even Unesco’s “feasible” 2025 benchmark of 90% is four points above the latest rate.
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This is despite programmes operating at scale. Unesco’s India profile says Samagra Shiksha supports about 15.6 crore learners, while PM-Poshan covers around 11.8 crore children in 11.2 lakh government and aided schools. The trend is part of a broader global concern. The scorecard concludes that, on average, countries are “moving away” from the public education expenditure benchmarks of at least 4% of GDP or 15% of total public expenditure.
