Lavish! 15 Countries with the Highest Education Spending per Student in the World

Education spending per student serves as a key indicator of a country’s investment in human resources. However, the latest data reveals a vast gap: advanced economies spend tens of thousands of dollars per student, while developing nations remain far behind. According to Visual Capitalist, here is the data on education spending per student. Wealthy Countries Dominate the Top Rankings High-income countries dominate the list of education spending per student. Luxembourg tops the chart with around US$31,439 per student, or approximately Rp538.86 million (US$1 = Rp17,140), followed by Norway at US$21,000. This phenomenon reflects two aspects: high standards of educational services (teachers, facilities, support systems) and substantial fiscal capacity. Small countries with high incomes can even record extreme figures due to their relatively small number of students. Countries like Norway, Austria, and Denmark also rank in the top group with spending of around US$18,000 to US$21,000 per student. The welfare state model plays a significant role here, positioning education as a primary public service supported by substantial and equitable budgets. OECD Average Reveals Wide Disparities Although the average for Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries stands at around US$15,000 per student, the distribution is highly uneven. Countries in Western Europe and North America tend to far exceed the average, while many others fall well below it. Interestingly, some advanced economies like Japan, Italy, and Spain remain below the average. On the other hand, developing countries in Europe such as Poland and Hungary allocate around US$10,000 to US$11,000 per student, reflecting fiscal limitations as well as differing budgetary priorities. Education Funding Allocation in Indonesia The education budget in the 2026 State Budget (APBN) is set at Rp757.8 trillion to Rp769.1 trillion, a 9.8% increase from the 2025 outlook. This allocation fulfils the mandate of 20% of total APBN spending on education. The main focus includes improving teaching quality, equitable access, and support for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme. Part of the education budget is used to support the MBG programme, with reports indicating up to Rp223 trillion allocated for this purpose. Data from the Directorate General of Higher Education shows that the number of students in Indonesia from primary school to university level reaches 63,555,014. This means Indonesia’s education budget per student amounts to Rp11.29 million.