Norway vs Sweden: Historical gov spending gdp

Norway
48.48
in 2024
Sweden
49.3
in 2024
Norway rank
16th
Sweden rank
15th

Historical gov spending gdp over time

  • Norway
  • Sweden
0204060180019122024

How they compare

Sweden currently reports 49.3 against 48.48 in Norway, a difference of 0.82.

The two have swapped places 26 times across 138 shared years of data; in 1881 it was Sweden ahead.

Norway ranks 16th and Sweden ranks 15th of 151 countries.

Across the 15 decades both report, Norway averaged higher in 7 and Sweden in 8.

Head to head by decade

Decade Norway Sweden Difference Ahead
1880s 6.47 6.82 0.3538 Sweden
1890s 8.14 6.89 1.25 Norway
1900s 9.48 8.28 1.19 Norway
1910s 7.95 9.07 1.13 Sweden
1920s 9.95 9.14 0.8115 Norway
1930s 8.36 11.27 2.91 Sweden
1940s 19.59 17.76 1.83 Norway
1950s 16.71 21.12 4.41 Sweden
1960s 30.83 25.51 5.32 Norway
1970s 43.68 33 10.68 Norway
1980s 47.7 43.32 4.39 Norway
1990s 51.5 55.64 4.14 Sweden
2000s 43.77 52.06 8.29 Sweden
2010s 46.6 49.85 3.25 Sweden
2020s 46.99 49.57 2.58 Sweden

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher historical gov spending gdp, Norway or Sweden?
Sweden, at 49.3 against 48.48 in Norway as of 2024.
What is the difference in historical gov spending gdp between Norway and Sweden?
0.82, with Sweden ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and Sweden?
138 years are reported by both, from 1881 to 2024.
How do Norway and Sweden rank globally for historical gov spending gdp?
Norway ranks 16th and Sweden ranks 15th of 151 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Our World in Data, published as Historical gov spending gdp. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Norway vs Sweden: Historical gov spending gdp. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/compare/historical-gov-spending-gdp/norway/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator
Historical gov spending gdp
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
151 places, 9,265 data points, 1800–2024
Last refreshed