Indonesia records lowest education spending at 1.3% of GDP

Indonesia allocates only 1.3% of its gross domestic product to education, the smallest share among a list of ten countries compiled by UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Despite this minimal budget, 40.2% of Indonesia’s population is aged 24 or younger, highlighting a large youth cohort that depends on educational services.

The data places Indonesia ahead of Pakistan (2.0%), Bangladesh (2.0%), Singapore (2.2%), Thailand (2.5%), Vietnam (2.9%), Ireland (2.9%), Turkey (3.1%), Romania (3.3%) and Japan (3.3%). UNESCO warns that the gap between low investment and a high proportion of young people could undermine future workforce quality and long‑term economic competitiveness.