Zimbabwe
In the case of Zimbabwe, international data differs from the national figures available. While international comparative data show that less than 0.5% of GDP is invested in education, national data indicate that 2.9% of GDP and 14.04% of the total budget were allocated to education in 2023—still below internationally recommended benchmarks.
Our member’s extended analysis, developed by ECOZI, highlights the need for increased public funding for education, as well as the importance of addressing disbursement and utilisation bottlenecks. While the Constitution (Section 27) and the Education Act (Amendment No. 15, 2020) guarantee state-funded basic education, there are limited financial resources and insufficient financial management mechanisms in place to ensure this right is realised.
The analysis further shows that education financing is constrained by significant macroeconomic challenges, including debt servicing, corruption, and bureaucratic inefficiencies, which affect both the availability and the efficient management of resources allocated to the sector. A hyperinflationary environment and currency depreciation can severely erode the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) budget, as was the case in previous years—particularly in 2020.
The lack of adequate public funding undermines the principle of free education: parents contribute up to 96% of non-salary education costs at school level, raising serious equity concerns. The international wealth parity index was 1.81 in 2019, meaning that children from the wealthiest households were 1.8 times more likely to attend school than those from the poorest households.
See the international comparative figures below, alongside our member’s brief and report featuring national-level analysis, insights, and policy recommendations.
Read our members’ education financing brief
Public financial effort is measured as a share of both national wealth (GDP) and the government budget allocated to education. Zimbabwe’s most recent data (2023) from UIS database shows that only 0.38% of GDP was dedicated to public education—among the lowest levels in the region and well below the 6% benchmark. On the other hand, education represented 19.04% of total government spending, above the regional average but still just short of the 20% target. In the case of Zimbabwe, international data differs from the national figures available, kindly check our member’s brief for more details.
Public expenditure on education as a % of GDP
Public expenditure on education as a % of total public expenditure
Public spending per school-age child stood at USD 120.26 (2018), below the regional average, reflecting limited resources available per learner.
Public spending per school-age person
School attendance data provides insight into disparities across gender and wealth. Equity indicators show progress on gender parity, with girls slightly more likely to attend school than boys. However, while wealth disparities persist, they are less pronounced than in many countries in the region.
- The gender ratio was 1.03 in 2019, slightly above the regional average and indicating approximate parity.
- The wealth parity index was 1.81 in 2019, meaning that children from the wealthiest households were 1.8 times more likely to attend school than those from the poorest households. While inequality persists, this figure is below the regional average, suggesting that wealth-based disparities are less severe in Zimbabwe compared to neighboring countries.