Spain vs Sweden: Government spending by function as a share of GDP
Spain
18.5%
in 2023
Sweden
18.9%
in 2023
Spain rank
12th
Sweden rank
9th
Government spending by function as a share of GDP over time
- Spain
- Sweden
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 18.9% against 18.5% in Spain, a difference of 0.4%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 17 shared years of data; in 2007 it was Sweden ahead.
Spain ranks 12th and Sweden ranks 9th of 37 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Spain averaged higher in 1 and Sweden in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Spain | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 14.2% | 21.1% | 6.9% | Sweden |
| 2010s | 17.2% | 20.8% | 3.6% | Sweden |
| 2020s | 19.7% | 19.4% | 0.3% | Spain |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending by function as a share of gdp, Spain or Sweden?
- Sweden, at 18.9% against 18.5% in Spain as of 2023.
- What is the difference in government spending by function as a share of gdp between Spain and Sweden?
- 0.4%, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Spain and Sweden?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2023.
- How do Spain and Sweden rank globally for government spending by function as a share of gdp?
- Spain ranks 12th and Sweden ranks 9th 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.