With the world's fourth largest population, Indonesia is experiencing significant growth. Indonesia possesses demographic dividend potential that brings economic opportunities towards becoming a developed country. Human resource preparation is key to successfully harnessing the demographic bonus of 2035. Efforts to improve the quality and accessibility of education are implemented through budget allocation as mandated by the 1945 Constitution. This study aims to analyze the education budget allocation comparison between Indonesia and the ASEAN member countries. This study provides novelty by focusing on comparing the allocation of education budgets between Indonesia and ASEAN countries through a parliamentary perspective to support the achievement of SDGs. The study adopts a qualitative method with Systematic Literature Review by analyzing 83 articles. The findings indicate that education budget allocation in Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos, is a crucial focus in ensuring educational quality. Despite increasing budgets annually, challenges such as disparities in educational quality, teacher shortages, and poor infrastructure remain major issues. ASEAN countries employ different approaches to budget allocation, with some focusing on decentralization, subsidies, and public investment. International support, such as that provided by the World Bank in Cambodia and Myanmar, demonstrates a commitment to improving access and quality of education. In Indonesia, budget allocations for primary, secondary, and vocational education should be seen as investments in future human resources, with an emphasis on sustainable allocations. Improvements in diversifying budget programs and comprehensive oversight at the regional level are essential, while budget allocations for higher education and vocational training need significant increases to meet international standards, with a minimum recommendation of 2% of the national budget, according to UNESCO.
