Education…education…education… wmd…wmd...wmd

Remember when (1987) Tony Blair said that his priority was education … education … education?   I do.  Words are one thing, but hard, cold, figures are another … so a country’s spend on education, as a proportion of gross national product, is a telling illustration of that country's priorities.  As is their proportionate spend on weapons.

Have a look at the league tables below.  And ask yourself some tough questions.  How is it that North Korea can’t afford to feed its own people, but still manages to spend a fortune on nuclear weapons??

And consider Pakistan.  Only 63% of Pakistani children finish primary school - one in 10 of the world's out-of-school children live in Pakistan.  Pakistan spends 2% of GDP on education, yet is nuclear armed.  And now Pakistan wants to spend billions on a Chinese military submarine system.

The world is a mad, mad, mad place.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/08/pakistan-faces-education-emergency


Rank       Country                                Military expenditure, 2010[2]    % of GDP, 2009
153        North Korea                            9e20Not reported                         100%na i
40          Oman                                       4,047,000,000                      9.7%
16          United Arab Emirates               15,749,000,000                    7.3%
18          Israel                                        13,001,000,000                    6.3%
99          Chad                                        242,000,000                         6.2%
61          Jordan                                      1,363,000,000                      6.1%
82          Georgia                                    452,000,000                         5.6%
35          Iraq                                          4,663,000,000                      5.4%
1            United States                            687,105,000,000                  4.7%
37          Kuwait                                     4,411,000,000                      4.4%
5            Russia                                      52,586,000,000                    4.3%
24          Singapore                                 7,651,000,000                      4.3%
42          Angola                                     3,774,000,000                      4.2%
86          Armenia                                   404,000,000                         4.2%
58          Lebanon                                   1,564,000,000                      4.1%
53          Syria                                        2,236,000,000                      4.0%
135        Burundi                                    43,900,000                           4.0%
67          Yemen                                     1,222,000,000b                     3.9%b
144        Guinea-Bissau                          16,800,000g                          3.8%g
29          Algeria                                     5,586,000,000                      3.8%
21          Colombia                                 9,191,000,000                      3.7%
74          Bahrain                                    731,000,000                         3.7%
90          Namibia                                   329,000,000                         3.7%
117        Mauritania                                122,000,000                         3.7%
141        Djibouti                                    36,300,000b                          3.7%
107        Kyrgyzstan                               167,000,000j                         3.6%
27          Chile                                        6,198,000,000                      3.5%
65          Sri Lanka                                 1,280,000,000                      3.5%
56          Sudan                                      1,991,000,000c                     3.4%c
48          Morocco                                  3,256,000,000                      3.4%
60          Azerbaijan                                1,421,000,000                      3.4%
20          Greece                                     9,369,000,000                      3.2%
91          Brunei                                      327,000,000                         3.1%
89          Botswana                                 352,000,000                         3.0%
81          Eritrea                                      469,000,000d                        20.9%d
100        Turkmenistan                            233,000,000e                        2.9%e
12          South Korea                            24,270,000,000                    2.9%
46          Ukraine                                    3,442,000,000                      2.9%
10          India                                        34,816,000,000                    2.8%
33          Pakistan                                   5,160,000,000                      2.8%
4            United Kingdom                       57,424,000,000                    2.7%
17          Turkey                                     15,634,000,000                    2.7%
3            France                                     61,285,000,000                    2.5%
52          Vietnam                                   2,410,000,000                      2.5%
22          Republic of China (Taiwan)      8,535,000,000                      2.4%
134        Sierra Leone                            44,600,000b                          2.4%
72          Serbia                                      920,000,000                         2.3%
85          Estonia                                     336,000,000                         2.3%
121        Guinea                                     99,800,000f                           2.2%f
127        Tajikistan                                 63,400,000f                           2.2%f
2            People's Republic of China       114,300,000,000                  2.2%
32          Portugal                                   5,213,000,000                      2.1%
41          Egypt                                       3,914,000,000                      2.1%
105        Albania                                    201,000,000                         2.1%
47          Malaysia                                  3,259,000,000                      2.0%
76          Bulgaria                                    698,000,000                         2.0%
77          Kenya                                      594,000,000                         2.0%
93          Bolivia                                      314,000,000                         2.0%
103          Nepal                                       207,000,000                         2.0%
8            Saudi Arabia                            42,917,000,000                    11.2%
130        Uzbekistan                               52,000,000d                          1.9%d
154        Zimbabwe                                9e20Not reported                         1.9%c
128        Swaziland                                 60,000,000a                          1.9%a
14          Australia                                   19,799,000,000                    1.9%
39          Thailand                                   4,336,000,000                      1.9%
106        Mali                                         183,000,000                         1.9%
129        Togo                                        57,000,000                           1.9%
25          Iran                                          7,044,000,000b                     1.8%b
9            Italy                                         38,198,000,000                    1.8%
23          Poland                                     8,380,000,000                      1.8%
70          Croatia                                     1,060,000,000                      1.8%
78          Cyprus                                     550,000,000                         1.8%
95          Uganda                                    276,000,000                         1.8%
97          Afghanistan                              250,000,000j                         1.8%
98          Zambia                                     243,000,000                         1.7%
112        Republic of Macedonia             145,000,000                         1.7%
11          Brazil                                       28,096,000,000                    1.6%
26          Norway                                   6,322,000,000                      1.6%
73          Slovenia                                   788,000,000                         1.6%
80          Uruguay                                   491,000,000                         1.6%
87          Cameroon                                368,000,000                         1.6%
104        Senegal                                    207,000,000                         1.6%
136        Lesotho                                    43,600,000                           1.6%
140        Central African Republic           36,700,000                           1.6%
133        Malawi                                     45,100,000a                          1.5%a
13          Canada                                    20,164,000,000                    1.5%
19          Netherlands                              11,604,000,000                    1.5%
44          Finland                                     3,718,000,000                      1.5%
88          Côte d'Ivoire                            353,000,000b                        1.5%
124        Rwanda                                   72,700,000                           1.5%
125        Mongolia                                  71,000,000a                          1.4%a
7            Germany                                  46,848,000,000                    1.4%
36          Denmark                                  4,588,000,000                      1.4%
51          Czech Republic                        2,529,000,000                      1.4%
54          Romania                                   2,164,000,000                      1.4%
55          Peru                                         1,992,000,000                      1.4%
71          Slovakia                                   1,010,000,000                      1.4%
75          Belarus                                     726,000,000                         1.4%
83          Lithuania                                  427,000,000                         1.4%
96          Latvia                                       268,000,000                         1.4%
118        Burkina Faso                            112,000,000                         1.4%
43          South Africa                             3,735,000,000                      1.3%
50          Venezuela                                3,106,000,000                      1.3%
79          Tunisia                                     548,000,000                         1.3%
101        Bosnia and Herzegovina           232,000,000                         1.3%
132        Fiji                                           48,400,000b                          1.3%
151        Seychelles                                6,600,000                             1.3%
69          Libya                                       1,100,000,000b                     1.2%b
30          Belgium                                    5,382,000,000                      1.2%
31          Sweden                                    5,248,000,000                      1.2%
62          New Zealand                           1,358,000,000                      1.2%
66          Kazakhstan                              1,227,000,000                      1.2%
113        Congo, Republic of the             133,000,000                         1.1%b
15          Spain                                       15,803,000,000                    1.1%
64          Hungary                                   1,323,000,000                      1.1%
102        Tanzania                                   217,000,000j                         1.1%
116        Cambodia                                123,000,000b                        1.1%
120        Madagascar                             103,000,000b                        1.1%
126        Benin                                       67,700,000b                          1.1%
145        Belize                                       15,600,000b                          1.1%
110        Panama                                    146,000,000e                        1.0%e
6            Japan                                       51,420,000,000                    1.0%
49          Argentina                                 3,179,000,000                      1.0%
68          Bangladesh                               1,137,000,000                      1.0%
84          Ethiopia                                    338,000,000                         1.0%
108        Congo, Democratic Republic of the                                        163,000,000           1.0%
28          Indonesia                                 6,009,000,000                      0.9%
45          Austria                                     3,650,000,000                      0.9%
57          Nigeria                                     1,724,000,000                      0.9%
111        Paraguay                                  146,000,000                         0.9%
149        Guyana                                    7,900,000h                            0.8%h
38          Switzerland                              4,392,000,000                      0.8%
59          Philippines                                1,486,000,000                      0.8%
119        Honduras                                 105,000,000                         0.8%
122        Mozambique                            92,500,000                           0.8%
92          Dominican Republic                  322,000,000                         0.7%
114        El Salvador                              133,000,000                         0.7%
115        Ghana                                      115,000,000                         0.7%
131        Malta                                       51,600,000                           0.7%
138        Nicaragua                                41,700,000                           0.7%
63          Ireland                                     1,354,000,000                      0.6%
94          Luxembourg                             301,000,000a                        0.6%
123        Jamaica                                    80,300,000                           0.6%
142        Moldova                                  27,500,000                           0.6%
150        Liberia                                     7,100,000                             0.6%
137        Niger                                       43,000,000g                          0.5%g
152        Gambia, The                            5,300,000a                            0.5%a
34          Mexico                                    4,859,000,000                      0.5%
148        Cape Verde                             8,800,000                             0.5%
109        Guatemala                                161,000,000                         0.4%
139        Papua New Guinea                  37,200,000                           0.4%
143        Laos                                        21,200,000g                          0.4%
146        Mauritius                                  15,300,000b                          0.2%
147        Iceland                                     12,200,000                           0.1%




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_spending_on_education_(%25_of_GDP)

Rank Country                                               % of GDP
1             Cuba                                              18.7
2             Vanuatu                                          11
3             Lesotho                                          10.4
4             Saint Vincent and the Grenadines     10
5             Yemen                                            9.5
6             Brunei                                             9.1
7             Mongolia                                        9
8             Denmark                                         8.5
9             Guyana                                           8.4
10           Malaysia                                         8.1
11           Cape Verde                                    7.9
12           Saint Lucia                                      7.7
13           Sweden                                          7.7
14           Saint Kitts and Nevis                       7.6
15           Barbados                                        7.6
16           Norway                                          7.6
17           Israel                                              7.5
18           Namibia                                          7.2
19           Swaziland                                       7.1
20           Kenya                                             7
21           New Zealand                                  6.7
22           Morocco                                        6.5
23           Finland                                            6.4
24           Tunisia                                            6.4
25           Belgium                                           6.3
26           Bolivia                                            6.3
27           Cyprus                                            6.3
28           Slovenia                                          6.1
29           Jamaica                                           6.1
30           Malawi                                           6
31           Belarus                                           6
32           Iceland                                            6
33           Lithuania                                         5.9
34           Switzerland                                      5.8
35           Portugal                                          5.8
36           Latvia                                             5.8
37           Estonia                                            5.7
38           United States                                  5.7
39           Austria                                            5.7
40           Poland                                            5.6
41           France                                            5.6
42           Fiji                                                  5.6
43           Ireland                                            5.5
44           Hungary                                          5.5
45           Ukraine                                           5.4
46           South Africa                                    5.3
47           United Kingdom                              5.3
48           Mexico                                           5.3
49           Thailand                                          5.2
50           Bhutan                                            5.2
51           Canada                                           5.2
52           Belize                                              5.2
53           Seychelles                                       5.2
54           Colombia                                        5.2
55           Costa Rica                                      5.1
56           Grenada                                          5.1
57           Netherlands                                    5.1
58           Australia                                         4.9
59           Iran                                                 4.9
60           Moldova                                         4.9
61           Tonga                                             4.9
62           Samoa                                            4.8
63           Italy                                                4.7
64           Mauritius                                         4.7
65           Zimbabwe                                       4.7
66           Oman                                             4.6
67           Germany                                         4.6
68           Côte d'Ivoire                                   4.6
69           Ethiopia                                          4.6
70           Panama                                           4.5
71           Spain                                              4.5
72           Croatia                                           4.5
73           Paraguay                                         4.4
74           Czech Republic                               4.4
75           Slovakia                                          4.4
76           Hong Kong                                     4.4
77           Trinidad and Tobago                       4.3
78           Korea, South                                  4.2
79           Chile                                               4.2
80           Brazil                                              4.2
81           India                                               4.1
82           Eritrea                                             4.1
83           Greece                                            4
84           Argentina                                        4
85           Burundi                                           3.9
86           Gabon                                            3.9
87           Comoros                                        3.9
88           Russia                                             3.8
89           Antigua and Barbuda                       3.8
90           Cameroon                                       3.8
91           Sierra Leone                                   3.7
92           Turkey                                            3.7
93           Japan                                              3.6
94           Senegal                                           3.6
95           Romania                                         3.5
96           Macedonia, Republic of                  3.5
97           Bulgaria                                          3.5
98           Solomon Islands                              3.4
99           Nepal                                               3.4
100         Benin                                              3.3

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