Brazil education spending per student is one-third of OECD average

According to the OECD ‘Education at a Glance 2026’ report, Brazil’s annual expenditure per student was US$ 4,133 in 2023. This figure represents approximately 30.39% of the OECD average, which stands at US$ 13,601 per student.

While Brazil’s per-student spending is lower than the OECD average and lags behind some Latin American neighbors like Chile (US$ 5,794) and Costa Rica (US$ 7,028), the country invests a higher proportion of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in education. In 2023, Brazil’s public education spending accounted for 4.5% of its GDP, exceeding the OECD member average of 4%.

The Brazilian Ministry of Education noted that education investment as a percentage of GDP has declined globally over the last eight years. In Brazil, this indicator fell from 5.5% in 2015 to 4.6% in 2023. Ricardo Henriques, executive superintendent of Instituto Unibanco, stated that despite the higher GDP proportion, the low per-student spending level may compromise learning outcomes.