India versus Asia,
investment in public education
Spending per primary pupil, as a share of income per head
Government expenditure per primary student, as a percentage of GDP per capita.
Table view
UNESCO via World Bank indicator SE.XPD.PRIM.PC.ZS.
We are not investing in children like we used to. We are not investing like more successful Asians.
Money spent per primary pupil
Constant 2015 US dollars per primary pupil per year.
Table view
World Bank indicators SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS, SE.XPD.PRIM.ZS, NY.GDP.MKTP.KD and SE.PRM.ENRL.
Primary against secondary
Money per child under 15, in 2011 PPP dollars a year, and the split of the education budget.
Table view
| Country | Year | Primary, $ per child | Secondary, $ per child | Primary, % of budget | Secondary, % of budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | 2018 | 1,543 | 1,875 | 34.0 | 41.4 |
| Thailand | 2013 | 1,307 | 948 | 41.1 | 29.8 |
| Indonesia | 2015 | 591 | 374 | 42.6 | 27.0 |
| Vietnam | 2013 | 292 | 389 | 29.7 | 39.6 |
| Philippines | 2009 | 207 | 112 | 55.0 | 29.7 |
| India | 2013 | 191 | 277 | 28.4 | 41.4 |
| Bangladesh | 2012 | 86 | 75 | 44.6 | 39.1 |
UNESCO via World Bank indicators SE.XPD.PRIM.ZS and SE.XPD.SECO.ZS, income per head from the Maddison Project, children under 15 from the UN Population Division.
GDP per capita, 1947–2022
2011 international dollars at purchasing power parity.
Table view
Maddison Project Database 2023.
Share of national income held by the richest tenth, 1947–2024
Percentage of pre-tax national income going to the top 10 percent of adults.
Table view
World Inequality Database, variable sptincj992 at percentile p90p100.
We made gains in addressing inequality after independence, but that was completely wiped out by Manmohan's liberalisation. Since then our inequality has gotten worse under every subsequent government or party. Our inequity is so bad, the only peers are African countries like Botswana.
Education spending and births per woman
Cumulative education spending per head along the bottom, births per woman up the side.
Table view
UN Population Division, via the World Bank.
Education has direct benefits, but we don't make the investment so we don't reap the benefits.
Education spending and the income of the poorer half
Cumulative education spending per head along the bottom, income of the poorer half up the side, 2011 PPP dollars a year.
Table view
World Inequality Database and the Maddison Project.
In every country including India, educating the poor directly improved their lot.
- World Bank Open Data: SE.XPD.PRIM.PC.ZS, SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS and SE.XPD.PRIM.ZS from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, NY.GDP.MKTP.KD and SE.PRM.ENRL.
- Maddison Project Database 2023, Bolt and van Zanden, retrieved through Our World in Data.
- World Inequality Database, bulk release of 25 July 2026, pre-tax national income, equal-split adults. Rows flagged as regional extrapolation are excluded.