Portugal vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Government spending by function as a share of GDP
Portugal
16.4%
in 2023
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
15.2%
in 2023
Portugal rank
17th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
19th
Government spending by function as a share of GDP over time
- Portugal
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
How they compare
Portugal currently reports 16.4% against 15.2% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a difference of 1.2%.
That makes Portugal's figure about 1.1 times United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's.
Across all 17 years both countries report, Portugal has been ahead every year.
Portugal ranks 17th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 19th of 37 countries.
Portugal has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Portugal | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15.8% | 15.1% | 0.7% | Portugal |
| 2010s | 18.0% | 15.8% | 2.2% | Portugal |
| 2020s | 17.7% | 15.7% | 2.1% | 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, Portugal or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Portugal, at 16.4% against 15.2% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as of 2023.
- What is the difference in government spending by function as a share of gdp between Portugal and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 1.2%, with Portugal ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Portugal and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2023.
- How do Portugal and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for government spending by function as a share of gdp?
- Portugal ranks 17th 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.
Individual pages
About this data
General government expenditure on social protection. This data is divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.