OECD members - Compensation of employees (% of expense)

Compensation of employees (% of expense) in OECD members was 14.01 as of 2019. Its highest value over the past 47 years was 18.37 in 1973, while its lowest value was 11.23 in 1991.

Definition: Compensation of employees consists of all payments in cash, as well as in kind (such as food and housing), to employees in return for services rendered, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions that provide benefits to employees.

Source: International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files.

See also:

Year Value
1972 17.61
1973 18.37
1974 16.70
1975 15.51
1976 15.59
1977 15.69
1978 15.74
1979 15.15
1980 13.94
1981 13.79
1982 13.44
1983 13.02
1984 12.83
1985 12.66
1986 12.76
1987 13.27
1988 14.13
1989 13.81
1990 13.19
1991 11.23
1992 11.87
1993 11.44
1994 11.28
1995 14.40
1996 14.37
1997 14.27
1998 14.11
1999 13.35
2000 13.00
2001 13.18
2002 14.31
2003 14.50
2004 13.95
2005 14.32
2006 14.11
2007 14.26
2008 14.02
2009 13.87
2010 13.86
2011 13.67
2012 13.55
2013 13.75
2014 14.15
2015 14.01
2016 14.31
2017 14.06
2018 14.01
2019 14.01

Limitations and Exceptions: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Despite IMF efforts to standardize data collection, statistics are often incomplete, untimely, and not comparable across countries.

Statistical Concept and Methodology: The IMF's Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014, harmonized with the 2008 SNA, recommends an accrual accounting method, focusing on all economic events affecting assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses, not just those represented by cash transactions. It accounts for all changes in stocks, so stock data at the end of an accounting period equal stock data at the beginning of the period plus flows over the period. The 1986 manual considered only debt stocks. Government finance statistics are reported in local currency. Many countries report government finance data by fiscal year; see country metadata for information on fiscal year end by country.

Aggregation method: Median

Periodicity: Annual

Classification

Topic: Public Sector Indicators

Sub-Topic: Government finance