Bhutan vs United States of America: Central government spending as share of GDP
Bhutan
24.1%
in 2020
United States of America
24.4%
in 2023
Bhutan rank
92nd
United States of America rank
89th
Central government spending as share of GDP over time
- Bhutan
- United States of America
How they compare
United States of America currently reports 24.4% against 24.1% in Bhutan, a difference of 0.3%.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 38 shared years of data; in 1982 it was United States of America ahead.
Bhutan ranks 92nd and United States of America ranks 89th of 157 countries.
United States of America has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Bhutan | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 18.6% | 21.9% | 3.3% | United States of America |
| 1990s | 20.2% | 20.5% | 0.3% | United States of America |
| 2000s | 18.8% | 20.9% | 2.1% | United States of America |
| 2010s | 18.4% | 23.2% | 4.8% | United States of America |
| 2020s | 24.1% | 31.8% | 7.7% | United States of America |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher central government spending as share of gdp, Bhutan or United States of America?
- United States of America, at 24.4% against 24.1% in Bhutan as of 2023.
- What is the difference in central government spending as share of gdp between Bhutan and United States of America?
- 0.3%, with United States of America ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Bhutan and United States of America?
- 38 years are reported by both, from 1982 to 2020.
- How do Bhutan and United States of America rank globally for central government spending as share of gdp?
- Bhutan ranks 92nd and United States of America ranks 89th of 157 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Monetary Fund (IMF), OECD, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Central 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
Central government expense (cash payments for operating activities of the government in providing goods and services), as share of GDP. It excludes capital investment, such as infrastructure or equipment.