India’s Education Spending Falls Below UNESCO’s 15% Public Expenditure Benchmark

New Delhi: India’s public spending on education remains below one of UNESCO’s key spending benchmarks, according to UNESCO’s 2026 Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) Scorecard.

India spends 4.1% of its GDP on education, just above UNESCO’s minimum benchmark, but the sector’s share of total government spending has fallen below the prescribed level. Education now accounts for 14.2% of public expenditure, down from 15.7% in 2015 and below UNESCO’s 15% benchmark, while school completion rates also remain below national targets, according to UNESCO’s 2026 SDG 4 Scorecard.

The funding gap comes alongside continuing challenges in school completion. India’s lower-secondary completion rate (Classes VI–VIII) is 86%, compared with the national benchmark of 99% for 2025. The upper-secondary completion rate (Classes IX–XII) stands at 51%, against a benchmark of 84%. UNESCO classifies progress at both levels as slow.

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Under the Education 2030 Framework, countries committed to spending at least 4% of GDP and/or 15% of total public expenditure on education. UNESCO’s scorecard uses these lower thresholds as minimum benchmarks.

Globally, the scorecard shows that 39 of 205 countries (19%) meet both benchmarks, while 72 countries (35%) meet neither. Another 64 countries, including India, spend more than 4% of GDP on education but less than 15% of their total public expenditure.

The report also notes that India has large-scale education programmes in place. 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.

UNESCO’s assessment highlights a broader global concern that countries are, on average, moving away from the minimum public education expenditure benchmarks of 4% of GDP or 15% of total public expenditure.

Key Figures

• 4.1% — India’s education spending as a share of GDP
• 14.2% — Education’s share of total public expenditure
• 15% — UNESCO minimum public expenditure benchmark
• 86% — Lower-secondary completion rate
• 51% — Upper-secondary completion rate
• 39 of 205 countries — Meet both spending benchmarks

Sources

• UNESCO, 2026 SDG 4 Scorecard — education expenditure and completion indicators referenced in the report.
• UNESCO Education 2030 Framework — spending benchmarks of 4% of GDP and/or 15% of public expenditure. 

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