A Our World in Data study ranks Kiribati first in education investment at 16.4% of GDP. Colombia places third in South America with 5.3%.
The Republic of Kiribati, with just over 110,000 inhabitants, tops the list with an investment of 16.4% of its gross domestic product in education. It is followed by Tuvalu at 12.8% and Micronesia at 11.6%.
The study draws on UNESCO, OECD and national records to measure total public education spending, including teacher salaries, infrastructure and transfers.
In South America, Bolivia records the highest share at 7.5%, followed by Brazil at 5.6%. Colombia ranks third at 5.3%.
Countries with the lowest investment include Somalia at less than 0.1%, Nigeria at 0.3% and Zimbabwe at 0.4%. The analysis covers data through 2026.
