Argentina slashes education and science budgets by ~50% under President Javier Milei

A joint report by the University of Buenos Aires and the EPC research group finds that Argentina's public spending on education and science has been cut by almost half since President Javier Milei took office. The education budget fell 47.7% between 2024 and 2025, with a 43.2% real decline year‑over‑year and the sector's share of GDP reduced by about 0.6 percentage points. Scholarships were cut by 42.5%, management programmes by 49.5%, and university transfers fell 5.4%.

Science funding dropped 46.5%, bringing the share of GDP to a historic 0.151%, well below the 0.52% target set by law and the 0.298% recorded in 2023. The main research agency CONICET lost 34.7% of its budget, while the I+D+i agency saw an 88.6% reduction. The only notable increase was in the National Literacy Plan, which received additional financing.

The report also warns that proposed voucher‑type financing for private schools could deepen regional disparities, as private enrollment is concentrated in wealthier areas such as Buenos Aires, leaving poorer provinces more dependent on under‑funded public schools.