OECD members - Expense (% of GDP)

Expense (% of GDP) in OECD members was 28.66 as of 2019. Its highest value over the past 47 years was 31.12 in 2010, while its lowest value was 20.02 in 1972.

Definition: Expense is cash payments for operating activities of the government in providing goods and services. It includes compensation of employees (such as wages and salaries), interest and subsidies, grants, social benefits, and other expenses such as rent and dividends.

Source: International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, and World Bank and OECD GDP estimates.

See also:

Year Value
1972 20.02
1973 20.48
1974 21.17
1975 23.26
1976 23.55
1977 23.54
1978 23.80
1979 23.93
1980 24.96
1981 25.01
1982 26.72
1983 26.63
1984 25.98
1985 26.50
1986 27.38
1987 27.00
1988 26.11
1989 25.54
1990 25.77
1991 27.39
1992 27.60
1993 27.91
1994 27.43
1995 28.72
1996 27.71
1997 26.95
1998 26.01
1999 25.84
2000 25.42
2001 26.76
2002 27.26
2003 27.71
2004 27.30
2005 27.48
2006 27.15
2007 27.02
2008 28.20
2009 30.87
2010 31.12
2011 30.15
2012 29.88
2013 29.38
2014 29.03
2015 28.71
2016 28.63
2017 28.46
2018 28.39
2019 28.66

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: Weighted average

Periodicity: Annual

Classification

Topic: Public Sector Indicators

Sub-Topic: Government finance