Australia vs North America: General government final consumption expenditure
General government final consumption expenditure over time
- Australia
- North America
How they compare
Australia currently reports 23.1% against 14.2% in North America, a difference of 8.9%.
That makes Australia's figure about 1.6 times North America's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 55 shared years of data; in 1970 it was North America ahead.
Australia ranks 33rd and North America ranks 32nd of 187 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 5 and North America in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | North America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 15.8% | 17.3% | 1.6% | North America |
| 1980s | 18.4% | 16.5% | 1.9% | Australia |
| 1990s | 18.6% | 15.6% | 3.0% | Australia |
| 2000s | 18.3% | 15.6% | 2.8% | Australia |
| 2010s | 19.3% | 15.3% | 4.0% | Australia |
| 2020s | 21.9% | 14.5% | 7.4% | Australia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher general government final consumption expenditure, Australia or North America?
- Australia, at 23.1% against 14.2% in North America as of 2025.
- What is the difference in general government final consumption expenditure between Australia and North America?
- 8.9%, with Australia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and North America?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2024.
- How do Australia and North America rank globally for general government final consumption expenditure?
- Australia ranks 33rd and North America ranks 32nd of 187 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs), published as General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Final consumption expenditure is expenditure on goods and services by resident institutional units for the direct satisfaction of human needs or wants, whether individual or collective. General government FCE includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees), and most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.