Bulgaria vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Government spending by function as a share of GDP

Bulgaria
13.8%
in 2023
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
15.2%
in 2023
Bulgaria rank
21st
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
19th

Government spending by function as a share of GDP over time

  • Bulgaria
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
051015200720152023

How they compare

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland currently reports 15.2% against 13.8% in Bulgaria, a difference of 1.4%.

That makes United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's figure about 1.1 times Bulgaria's.

Across all 17 years both countries report, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has been ahead every year.

Bulgaria ranks 21st and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 19th of 37 countries.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Bulgaria United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Difference Ahead
2000s 11.2% 15.1% 3.9% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2010s 12.5% 15.8% 3.3% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2020s 13.2% 15.7% 2.4% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher government spending by function as a share of gdp, Bulgaria or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at 15.2% against 13.8% in Bulgaria as of 2023.
What is the difference in government spending by function as a share of gdp between Bulgaria and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
1.4%, with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Bulgaria and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
17 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2023.
How do Bulgaria and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for government spending by function as a share of gdp?
Bulgaria ranks 21st and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 19th 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.

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Bulgaria vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Government spending by function as a share of GDP. Statizoid, drawing on OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/compare/government-spending-by-function-as-share-of-gdp-across-countries/bulgaria/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Government spending by function as a share of GDP
Unit
% of GDP
Source
OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
37 places, 618 data points, 2007–2024
Last refreshed

General government expenditure on social protection. This data is divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.