Budget 2019 in charts: Social sector spending rises, except on education

The Economic Survey for 2018-19 gives a sneak peak into the way India has been spending on social welfare of its citizens. In the last five years, while government expenditure on health has increased as a proportion of the economy, that on education reduced.

In 2013-14, the Centre and states together spent 3.1 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) on education. It reduced to 2.8 per cent in subsequent years, and it is estimated to be 3 per cent in 2018-19 (Budget Estimate). That on health improved from 1.2 per cent of GDP to 1.5 per cent in five years. 

As a result, education now occupies a smaller share in the overall social sector expenditure. 

With the rise in level of eduction, the proportion of children/youth getting enrolled in schools or colleges becomes lower. At the level of graduation, only a fourth of youngsters in that age group attend college. This actually commands a rise in education spend. 

Education includes sports, art and culture; health includes family welfare, water supply and sanitation; social services include housing, urban development, welfare of SCs, STs and OBCs, labour welfare, and social security, nutrition, relief on account of natural calamities.