Belgium vs Germany: Government spending by function as a share of GDP
Belgium
19.9%
in 2023
Germany
19.5%
in 2023
Belgium rank
6th
Germany rank
8th
Government spending by function as a share of GDP over time
- Belgium
- Germany
How they compare
Belgium currently reports 19.9% against 19.5% in Germany, a difference of 0.4%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 17 shared years of data; in 2007 it was Germany ahead.
Belgium ranks 6th and Germany ranks 8th of 37 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Belgium averaged higher in 2 and Germany in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | Germany | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 17.8% | 19.1% | 1.3% | Germany |
| 2010s | 19.4% | 18.9% | 0.5% | Belgium |
| 2020s | 20.8% | 20.3% | 0.5% | Belgium |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending by function as a share of gdp, Belgium or Germany?
- Belgium, at 19.9% against 19.5% in Germany as of 2023.
- What is the difference in government spending by function as a share of gdp between Belgium and Germany?
- 0.4%, with Belgium ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Germany?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2023.
- How do Belgium and Germany rank globally for government spending by function as a share of gdp?
- Belgium ranks 6th and Germany ranks 8th of 37 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Government spending by function as a share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
General government expenditure on social protection. This data is divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.