In 2023, public budgets and the private sector spent 398 billion euros on education, research and science in Germany.

According to preliminary calculations by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Tuesday, this was a nominal increase of 24 billion euros, or seven percent, compared to the previous year. The share of expenditure in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023 was 9.5 percent, the same as the previous year. The total education budget of the public and private sectors in 2023 amounted to 283 billion euros (share of GDP: 6.8 percent), which was six percent more than in the previous year.

At €231 billion, the largest share of expenditure went to public and private educational institutions. This includes €130 billion for schools and school-related services (e.g., school transport), €51 billion for tertiary educational institutions such as universities (including research and development), and €47 billion for childcare facilities. A further 16 billion euros were spent on educational support (e.g., BAföG). A total of 27 billion euros was spent on additional education-related areas such as in-company training, after-school care centers, youth work facilities, and adult education centers. Spending by companies and non-university research institutions on research and development totaled 107 billion euros in 2023, eight percent higher than the previous year. A total of eight billion euros was spent on other educational and scientific infrastructure (e.g., libraries or museums), up 17 percent. Data on the funding structure by funding provider is currently only available for 2022. In that year, public budgets financed 65 percent of spending on education, research, and science (federal government: 12 percent, state government: 40 percent, local government: 13 percent). The private sector (companies, non-profit organizations, and private households) contributed 33 percent, and foreign funding contributed two percent.