NEW DELHI, Aug 9: India’s share of government expenditure allocated to education has declined below the benchmark recommended by UNESCO, according to the organisation’s 2026 SDG 4 Scorecard.
The report shows that education accounted for 14.2 per cent of India’s total government expenditure, compared with 15.7 per cent in 2015. UNESCO recommends that countries allocate at least 15 per cent of public expenditure to education.
At the same time, education spending in India stood at around 4.1 per cent of the country’s GDP, remaining slightly above UNESCO’s prescribed minimum of 4 per cent.
The figures highlight a decline in the proportion of overall public expenditure directed towards education over the past decade. The trend has renewed attention on the need to maintain adequate public investment in schools, higher education and other areas of the education system.
The UNESCO assessment forms part of its broader monitoring of progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 4, which seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
The latest figures underline the importance of sustained financial support for the education sector as countries work towards meeting their international education commitments.
