Greece’s spending in education continues to lag behind most EU member states, reflecting a long-standing structural gap in public investment.
In 2023, Greece allocated 8% of total government expenditure to education, which is one of the lowest shares in the European Union. This limited funding restricts the country’s capacity to modernize school infrastructure, strengthen universities, expand research programs, and respond to emerging technological and labor-market needs.
As a percentage of GDP, Greece also remains below the EU average. Although expenditure has gradually recovered since the financial crisis, the increase has been modest.
Education spending in Europe
A group of EU countries clearly prioritizes education, dedicating a significantly larger share of their public budgets to the sector. Sweden leads with 14.6%, followed closely by Estonia at 14.5%, and Latvia at 14.0%.
Lithuania allocates 13.8%, while Cyprus and Ireland invest 12.5% and 12.3% respectively. Belgium also places high emphasis on education, dedicating 11.9% of its overall budget. These countries demonstrate long-term commitments to human capital, teacher training, school quality, and research-driven economies.
Countries with moderate education investment
A broad cluster of EU member states falls into a mid-level investment range, dedicating a balanced but not exceptional share of their government expenditure to education. Denmark and Slovenia invest 11.7%, while Croatia, Malta, the Netherlands, and Finland follow with 11.3%.
Luxembourg dedicates 10.7%, with Hungary, Bulgaria, and Poland slightly above 10.5%. Czechia, Portugal, and Slovakia each invest 10.3%. This group sits close to the EU-27 average of 9.6%, reflecting stable commitments without the high levels seen in top-spending countries.
Lowest investors
At the lower end of the spectrum are countries dedicating a smaller share of their budgets to education. Austria and Spain invest 9.3%, while Germany allocates 9.2%. France contributes 8.8% of its total budget to the sector, followed by Romania with 8.4%.
Greece invests only 8.0%, placing it among the lowest investors in education in the EU, while Italy ranks last with 7.3%. These disparities illustrate the uneven investment landscape across Europe and highlight challenges countries with limited public funding face.
Long term trends in EU education expenditure (1995–2023)
From 1995 to 2023, the EU’s education expenditure as a share of GDP ranged between 4.6% and 5.1%. It stood at 4.9% in 1995, declined to 4.7% in 2007, and then rose to 5.1% in 2009 during the economic crisis. In 2020, spending amounted to 4.9%, largely due to a drop in GDP during the pandemic. By 2023, it decreased again to 4.7%, reflecting a return to pre-crisis patterns.
When measured as a share of total government expenditure, education accounted for 9.2% in 1995 and peaked at 10.4% in 2002–2003. Since then, it has gradually declined, falling from 10.0% in 2019 to 9.6% in 2023, although this represents a slight increase compared to 9.4% in 2022. These fluctuations show how economic cycles and shifting priorities shape long-term education funding across the EU.
How Greece’s education spending has evolved
Greece’s long-term spending pattern mirrors its current economic capabilities, remaining consistently among the lowest in Europe. Over the last two decades, public investment in education has typically ranged between 3.4% and 4.6% of GDP, and between 7% and 8% of total government expenditure.
Despite modest improvements in recent years, Greece has not closed the gap with higher-spending countries. This sustained underinvestment affects everything from school facilities and digital transformation to research competitiveness and the country’s ability to prepare students for emerging sectors in the green and digital economy.
