Education Sector Receives MVR 5.6 Billion in Proposed 2026 Budget

The proposed state budget for 2026 allocates MVR 5.6 billion to the education sector, up from MVR 4.7 billion in 2025.

This marks an increase of MVR 900 million, reinforcing education as the second-largest allocation after health.

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At the level of individual education categories, pre-school and primary education is set to receive MVR 1.9 billion, compared with MVR 1.3 billion in 2025, an increase of MVR 600 million. Secondary education funding rises to MVR 1.2 billion from MVR 1 billion, an increase of MVR 200 million. 

Higher secondary education will get MVR 218.1 million in 2026, up from MVR 164 million, an increase of MVR 54.1 million. Higher education funding is proposed at MVR 831.7 million, up from MVR 687.3 million, a rise of MVR 144.4 million.

Under the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP), funding for education projects sees a dramatic increase to MVR 799 million in 2026, compared with MVR 153.5 million in 2025, representing an increase of MVR 645.5 million. 

School construction and upgrading is allocated MVR 598.5 million in 2026, up from MVR 111.6 million, an increase of MVR 486.9 million. Higher education projects will receive MVR 124.2 million, compared with MVR 10 million in 2025, a jump of MVR 114.2 million. 

Colleges and universities are set to get MVR 116.8 million, a sharp increase from MVR 10 million, while research institutes and libraries are included for the first time with MVR 7 million.