Argentina President Javier Milei slashes education and science budgets

A report by University of Buenos Aires researchers found that under President Javier Milei the Argentine government has sharply reduced public spending on education and science. Real investment in education fell 47.7 % between 2024 and 2025, while the Education and Culture budget line shrank 43.2 % in real terms, cutting its share of GDP by roughly 0.6 percentage points. A second study by the EPC Group reported a 46.5 % decline in science funding from the national budget since Milei took office.

The cuts continued in 2025, with education spending dropping a further 7.9 % compared with 2024. Key components hit hardest were transfers to universities (down 5.4 % year‑on‑year), student grants (down 42.5 %) and a student‑support programme (down 49.5 %). The only notable exception was the National Literacy Plan, which saw increased execution.