Romanians spent on average EUR 248 per capita for education in 2015, according to data from the EU statistical office Eurostat. This is the lowest sum in the European Union, where the average spending is of EUR 1,400 per capita, Agerpres reported.

Bulgaria is ahead of Romania, where the average spending on education in 2015 was of EUR 250. Croatia also spent more than Romania on education in 2015, with a EUR 494 average spent. The highest sums were spent in Luxembourg, at EUR 4,685, Denmark, at EUR 3,368, and in Sweden, at EUR 2,977.

When it comes to the GDP percentage allotted to education, Romania is again last in the European Union, with 3.1% in 2015. Ireland comes ahead at 3.7% of the GDP spent on education, and so do Bulgaria and Italy, with 4% of the GDP spent on education.

At the opposite end, Denmark allotted 7% of the GDP to education. It is followed by Sweden, with 6.5%, Belgium, with 6.4%, Finland, with 6.2%, Estonia, with 6.1%, and Latvia and Portugal, with 6% of the GDP allotted to education each.

In 2015, the EU member states spent over EUR 716 billion on education, or the equivalent of 4.9% of the EU GDP. Education is the fourth largest public spending after social protection, which took up 19.2% of the GDP, healthcare, at 7.2% of the GDP, and general public services, at 6.2% of the GDP.

editor@romania-insider.com