The Indian Education Ministry reported improved budget utilization since the Covid-19 pandemic. The ministry spent 91.22% of its allocated budget for the 2024-25 financial year . This data was shared with Rajya Sabha during the winter session of parliament.
Actual expenditure for the 2024-25 financial year reached Rs 1,10,477.28 crore . While this marks a decrease from the 98.68% utilization in 2023-24, it represents a rise from the pandemic years. In 2020-21, budget utilization dropped to 84.58%. It was 86.68% in 2021-22.
Overall, actual expenditure on education increased by 20.9% from 2019-20 to 2024-25. Minister of State for Education, Sukanta Majumdar, provided these figures in response to a question from MP Dola Sen.
Education Ministry Expenditure Overview
The following table details the Education Ministry’s budget estimates and actual spending over recent financial years:
| Financial Year | Budget Estimates (In Rs. Crore) | Actual Expenditure (In Rs. Crore) | % Utilized |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 94,853.64 | 89,529.10 | 94.39 |
| 2020-21 | 99,311.52 | 84,026.71 | 84.58 |
| 2021-22 | 93,224.31 | 80,829.64 | 86.68 |
| 2022-23 | 1,04,277.72 | 97,885.00 | 93.87 |
| 2023-24 | 1,12,899.47 | 1,11,408.39 | 98.68 |
| 2024-25 | 1,21,117.87 | 1,10,477.28 | 91.22 |
Public Spending on Education and GDP
Public expenditure on education, combining central and state budgets, increased from 3.84% of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2013-14 to 4.12% in 2021-22 . This figure, however, remains below the 6% of GDP target set for education spending.
Flagship Education Schemes See Increased Funding
The government increased spending on its main education initiatives. Funding for PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) rose by 23.96% . Allocations for the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan increased by 10% over the previous year.
Budget Estimates Versus Revised Outlays
The difference between initial Budget Estimates (BE) and Revised Estimates (RE) has narrowed in recent years. In most years, the revised outlay was lower than the initial estimate.
The widest gap occurred in 2020-21 , amounting to Rs 14,222.45 crore . This large difference was due to widespread disruptions in education caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, affecting budget utilization.
The following two years showed smaller gaps. The difference was Rs 5,222.79 crore in 2021-22 and Rs 4,396.59 crore in 2022-23. In the 2023-24 financial year, Revised Estimates slightly exceeded Budget Estimates. For the current financial year ending in 2025, the Budget Estimate was again higher than the reported actual expenditure.