Statistics in Focus: Population and social conditions. PUBLIC EXPENDITURE ON EDUCATION IN THE EU. 1998.15

Abstract

The countries of the EU are in general making considerable efforts in the field of education, with total public expenditure on all levels accounting for 5.2% on average of the GDP of the Fifteen in 1995. With a few ex-ceptions, this average corresponds fairly closely to the situation in the individual Member States. However, expenditure per pupil/student varies much more widely in primary, secondary and tertiary edu-cation alike, although in all Member States the unit costs increase in proportion with the level of education. The amount of financial aid awarded to pupils/students varies very widely from one country to another -from 16% of total expenditure in Denmark to less than 1 % in Greece. Financial aid is mainly awarded to students in tertiary education. Practically all the countries spend over 65% of the education budget on staff costs, the EU-15 average be-ing 73%.