§ Mr. Anthony CoombsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of gross national product was spent on education in each of the OECD countries in 1979 and the latest year for which figures are available; and what was per capita spending on education in each OECD country in the same years.
§ Mr. Alan HowarthThe readily available data are as follows:
Current Education Expenditure as a percentage of Gross National Product 1979 1986 Australia 5.3 5.3 Belgium1 5.8 5.1 (1987) Canada 7.2 6.7 (1987) Denmark 5.5 7.6 (1987) France2 3.3 3.3 Germany, Federal Republic of 4.0 4.0 Italy 4.4 14.5 (1983) Japan 3.9 5.0 Netherlands 7.3 5.9 (1985) Spain 2.3 2.9 (1986) Sweden 8.3 6.7 (1987) United Kingdom 5.2 4.8 United States of America 6.7 36.2 (19850 Source: UNESCO Statistical Yearbooks 1983, 1989.
Public Current Expenditure on Education per capita 19864 £ Sterling at Purchasing Power Parity Australia 330 Belgium 320 Canada 540 Denmark5 440 France 330 German, Federal Republic of 260 Italy6 220 Japan7 230 Netherlands 360 Spain6 130 Sweden 420 United Kingdom 300 United States of America 420 Source: Table DD Education Statistics for the United Kingdom 1989
Notes:
1 Expenditure of Ministry of Education only.
2 Metropolitan France.
3 Total public and private expenditure on education.
4 Figures for 1979 are not readily available.
5 Provisional.
6 3rd level qualifiers estimated for Denmark, France, Germany and Spain. Expenditure detail by level estimated via 1983 for Italy and 1979 for Spain.
7 Estimated. Includes some private funding, but excludes fees.