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Government expense

How much the state spends in a year — including wages, pensions, benefits and interest on debt.

Unit: % of GDP Period: 1972–2024 Source: World Development Indicators (World Bank)
Source: World Bank · About the indicator
Average: 27.17% Countries: 161

The ranking uses the latest available value for each country — the year is shown in the row. The table spans 1980 to 2024.

Government expense, 1980–2024

Top-20 · % of GDP

Government expense, 1980–2024050100150NauruNauru: 103.6%103.6KiribatiKiribati: 83.68%83.68UkraineUkraine: 65.56%65.56Marshall IslandsMarshall Islands: 59.44%59.44PalauPalau: 58.95%58.95Timor-LesteTimor-Leste: 52.49%52.49GreeceGreece: 47.3%47.3ItalyItaly: 47.28%47.28FranceFrance: 47.26%47.26AustriaAustria: 46.03%46.03FinlandFinland: 44.91%44.91SloveniaSlovenia: 42.87%42.87HungaryHungary: 42.42%42.42LuxembourgLuxembourg: 42.23%42.23United KingdomUnited Kingdom: 41.23%41.23San MarinoSan Marino: 40.49%40.49LesothoLesotho: 40.23%40.23NetherlandsNetherlands: 39.97%39.97SlovakiaSlovakia: 39.77%39.77BelgiumBelgium: 39.71%39.71
Government expense — 1980–2024 Current breakdown Full series CSV XLSX JSON
# Year Subregion World rank
1 NR Nauru 103.6 2020 1
2 KI Kiribati 83.68 2023 2
3 UA Ukraine 65.56 2023 3
4 MH Marshall Islands 59.44 2020 4
5 PW Palau 58.95 2020 5
6 TL Timor-Leste 52.49 2022 6
7 GR Greece 47.3 2023 7
8 IT Italy 47.28 2023 8
9 FR France 47.26 2023 9
10 AT Austria 46.03 2023 10
11 FI Finland 44.91 2023 11
12 SI Slovenia 42.87 2023 12
13 HU Hungary 42.42 2022 13
14 LU Luxembourg 42.23 2023 14
15 GB United Kingdom 41.23 2023 15
16 SM San Marino 40.49 2023 16
17 LS Lesotho 40.23 2022 17
18 NL Netherlands 39.97 2023 18
19 SK Slovakia 39.77 2022 19
20 BE Belgium 39.71 2022 20
21 AF Afghanistan 39.22 2017 21
22 PL Poland 39.1 2023 22
23 CY Cyprus 38.46 2023 23
24 HR Croatia 38.13 2023 24
25 EE Estonia 37.69 2023 25
26 IL Israel 37.35 2023 26
27 RO Romania 37.3 2022 27
28 PT Portugal 37.16 2023 28
29 UY Uruguay 36.45 2023 29
30 NA Namibia 36.16 2023 30
31 BG Bulgaria 35.76 2023 31
32 NZ New Zealand 35.5 2022 32
33 RS Serbia 35.46 2022 33
34 BA Bosnia and Herzegovina 35.3 2023 34
35 TO Tonga 34.65 2023 35
36 KW Kuwait 34.55 2006 36
37 NO Norway 34.52 2023 37
38 MD Moldova 34.47 2023 38
39 CZ Czechia 34.44 2022 39
40 LR Liberia 34.38 1982 40
41 LV Latvia 34.2 2023 41
42 ES Spain 34.04 2023 42
43 LT Lithuania 33.86 2023 43
44 TN Tunisia 33.76 2012 44
45 MT Malta 33.67 2023 45
46 ZA South Africa 33.42 2022 46
47 MK North Macedonia 33.38 2023 47
48 DK Denmark 33.34 2023 48
49 TT Trinidad and Tobago 33.32 2019 49
50 CO Colombia 33.28 2023 50
51 TR Türkiye 33.03 2023 51
52 SE Sweden 32.51 2022 52
53 BR Brazil 32.43 2023 53
54 IS Iceland 32.05 2023 54
55 MN Mongolia 31.7 2021 55
56 DE Germany 31.17 2022 56
57 CV Cabo Verde 30.88 2020 57
58 EC Ecuador 30.44 2022 58
59 EG Egypt 30.23 2015 59
60 RU Russia 29.97 2023 60
61 MV Maldives 29.48 2021 61
62 MU Mauritius 29.14 2023 62
63 SB Solomon Islands 28.89 2022 63
64 BB Barbados 28.77 2016 64
65 CR Costa Rica 28.57 2023 65
66 BY Belarus 28.47 2023 66
67 KR South Korea 28.32 2023 67
68 SV El Salvador 27.92 2023 68
69 KE Kenya 27.84 2023 69
70 FJ Fiji 27.76 2023 70
71 IQ Iraq 27.61 2019 71
72 AU Australia 27.58 2022 72
73 JM Jamaica 27.47 2020 73
74 KN Saint Kitts and Nevis 26.75 2020 74
75 WS Samoa 26.68 2023 75
76 VU Vanuatu 26.61 2023 76
77 MA Morocco 26.61 2023 77
78 BW Botswana 26.53 2024 78
79 PS Palestine 26.17 2021 79
80 BH Bahrain 26.11 2020 80
81 MZ Mozambique 26 2022 81
82 JO Jordan 25.89 2023 82
83 AL Albania 25.44 2023 83
84 GE Georgia 25.24 2023 84
85 ZM Zambia 25.14 2021 85
86 VC Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 24.73 2017 86
87 SC Seychelles 24.62 2008 87
88 SZ Eswatini 24.62 2021 88
89 CL Chile 24.56 2023 89
90 US United States 24.43 2023 90
91 HN Honduras 24.39 2020 91
92 SA Saudi Arabia 24.22 2023 92
93 BT Bhutan 24.08 2020 93
94 KG Kyrgyzstan 23.71 2023 94
95 SN Senegal 23.56 2023 95
96 FM Micronesia 23.43 2020 96
97 AZ Azerbaijan 23.01 2022 97
98 PE Peru 22.84 2021 98
99 GH Ghana 22.68 2022 99
100 MX Mexico 22.46 2023 100
101 UZ Uzbekistan 22.34 2023 101
102 BZ Belize 22.34 2017 102
103 BO Bolivia 21.81 2007 103
104 AR Argentina 21.01 2023 104
105 AM Armenia 20.95 2023 105
106 TH Thailand 20.72 2023 106
107 BS Bahamas 20.35 2023 107
108 PG Papua New Guinea 20.32 2023 108
109 MW Malawi 20.17 2022 109
110 JP Japan 20.06 2022 110
111 IR Iran 19.64 2009 111
112 MO Macao 19.59 2023 112
113 BF Burkina Faso 19.57 2023 113
114 NP Nepal 19.44 2021 114
115 IE Ireland 19.24 2022 115
116 CA Canada 19.06 2023 116
117 PY Paraguay 18.95 2023 117
118 DO Dominican Republic 18.07 2023 118
119 LK Sri Lanka 18.04 2023 119
120 RW Rwanda 17.97 2023 120
121 CI Côte d'Ivoire 17.88 2023 121
122 LC Saint Lucia 17.61 2017 122
123 KZ Kazakhstan 17.45 2023 123
124 GM Gambia 17.16 1990 124
125 PA Panama 17.14 2021 125
126 SG Singapore 17.11 2023 126
127 MY Malaysia 17.01 2023 127
128 PH Philippines 16.88 2023 128
129 UG Uganda 16.58 2023 129
130 TZ Tanzania 16.34 2024 130
131 NI Nicaragua 16.28 2023 131
132 CG Republic of the Congo 16.13 2021 132
133 CH Switzerland 16.11 2023 133
134 TG Togo 16.03 2023 134
135 GW Guinea-Bissau 15.54 2023 135
136 ID Indonesia 15.37 2009 136
137 AO Angola 14.57 2019 137
138 GA Gabon 14.05 2021 138
139 MM Myanmar 13.78 2019 139
140 IN India 13.73 2022 140
141 GT Guatemala 13.51 2023 141
142 KH Cambodia 12.95 2023 142
143 PK Pakistan 12.78 2000 143
144 CD Democratic Republic of the Congo 12.45 2022 144
145 CM Cameroon 12.42 2021 145
146 BI Burundi 12.26 2021 146
147 ML Mali 12.24 2020 147
148 CF Central African Republic 11.66 2021 148
149 GQ Equatorial Guinea 11.05 2022 149
150 MG Madagascar 11.04 2023 150
151 TJ Tajikistan 11.02 2023 151
152 ZW Zimbabwe 10.98 2018 152
153 LA Laos 10.32 2022 153
154 NE Niger 10.16 1980 154
155 SD Sudan 9.73 2016 155
156 BD Bangladesh 8.32 2021 156
157 GN Guinea 6.47 1992 157
158 SO Somalia 6.35 2023 158
159 LB Lebanon 6.3 2021 159
160 ET Ethiopia 6.12 2023 160
161 AE United Arab Emirates 3.77 2023 161
Nothing found. Check the spelling of the name.
Maximum 103.6%
Median 26%
Minimum 3.77%
World 28.49%

About the indicator

Central government expense as a percent of GDP: compensation of public employees, purchases of goods and services, interest on debt, subsidies, grants and social benefits. The indicator is broader than government consumption from the national accounts, because it includes transfers — pensions and benefits — which the accounts record as household income. The quantity is closely tied to the level of income: in advanced countries it is usually twice as high as in the poorest ones.

Important: Central government only. In federations the spending of regions is not included here, so comparing unitary and federal states by this indicator calls for a caveat.

Updates
quarterly
Unit of measurement
% of GDP
Observation period
1972–2024
License
CC BY 4.0
Dataset
World Development Indicators

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