Netherlands vs Portugal: Government spending by function as a share of GDP
Netherlands
16.5%
in 2023
Portugal
16.4%
in 2023
Netherlands rank
16th
Portugal rank
17th
Government spending by function as a share of GDP over time
- Netherlands
- Portugal
How they compare
Netherlands currently reports 16.5% against 16.4% in Portugal, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 17 shared years of data; in 2007 it was Portugal ahead.
Netherlands ranks 16th and Portugal ranks 17th of 37 countries.
Portugal has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Netherlands | Portugal | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15.5% | 15.8% | 0.2% | Portugal |
| 2010s | 17.0% | 18.0% | 1.1% | Portugal |
| 2020s | 16.5% | 17.7% | 1.3% | Portugal |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending by function as a share of gdp, Netherlands or Portugal?
- Netherlands, at 16.5% against 16.4% in Portugal as of 2023.
- What is the difference in government spending by function as a share of gdp between Netherlands and Portugal?
- 0.1%, with Netherlands ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Netherlands and Portugal?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2023.
- How do Netherlands and Portugal rank globally for government spending by function as a share of gdp?
- Netherlands ranks 16th and Portugal ranks 17th 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.