Pakistan vs Sri Lanka: Government spending as share of GDP
Pakistan
19.5%
in 2024
Sri Lanka
19.3%
in 2024
Pakistan rank
125th
Sri Lanka rank
127th
Government spending as share of GDP over time
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
How they compare
Pakistan currently reports 19.5% against 19.3% in Sri Lanka, a difference of 0.2%.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 35 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Sri Lanka ahead.
Pakistan ranks 125th and Sri Lanka ranks 127th of 151 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Pakistan averaged higher in 1 and Sri Lanka in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17.0% | 23.3% | 6.4% | Sri Lanka |
| 2000s | 14.5% | 20.4% | 5.9% | Sri Lanka |
| 2010s | 18.6% | 18.2% | 0.4% | Pakistan |
| 2020s | 19.5% | 19.9% | 0.4% | Sri Lanka |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending as share of gdp, Pakistan or Sri Lanka?
- Pakistan, at 19.5% against 19.3% in Sri Lanka as of 2024.
- What is the difference in government spending as share of gdp between Pakistan and Sri Lanka?
- 0.2%, with Pakistan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Pakistan and Sri Lanka?
- 35 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2024.
- How do Pakistan and Sri Lanka rank globally for government spending as share of gdp?
- Pakistan ranks 125th and Sri Lanka ranks 127th of 151 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Monetary Fund (2025) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Government spending as share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Sum of all the money spent by the government on goods and services, as a percentage of GDP. It includes interest paid on government debt.