Summary of Key Findings from the “Education at a Glance 2024” Report

Abstract

OECD comparative reports calculate education expenditure comprehensively as the sum of public, private, and international sources. This approach captures all direct and indirect financial flows to educational institutions, rather than focusing solely on government budget outlays. In Mongolia, however, education financing is primarily reported using two indicators: the share of government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP and as a percentage of total government spending while household spending and private-sector investment are not incorporated into official accounts. For example, in 2023, government spending on education amounted to 3.74% of GDP and accounted for 9.99% of total budget expenditure. These levels are relatively low compared with OECD averages, partly because Mongolia’s estimates do not fully include household and private contributions. Moreover, international comparisons typically express education spending in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms, an approach that adjusts for exchange-rate movements and differences in cost of living to reflect real purchasing power, thereby improving cross-country comparability. Consequently, there are limits to directly comparing Mongolia’s education spending with that of OECD countries; aligning with international practice will require adopting broader accounting methods that encompass all funding sources. As of 2021, OECD countries spent, on average, 4.9% of GDP on institutions from primary through tertiary education: 1.4% for primary, 1.0% each for lower and upper secondary, and 1.5% for tertiary education. By funding source, public expenditure averaged 4.2% of GDP and private sources 0.8%. The average annual expenditure per student was approximately USD 14,000.