Malaysia vs Singapore: Central government spending as share of GDP
Malaysia
17.0%
in 2023
Singapore
17.1%
in 2023
Malaysia rank
125th
Singapore rank
124th
Central government spending as share of GDP over time
- Malaysia
- Singapore
How they compare
Singapore currently reports 17.1% against 17.0% in Malaysia, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was Malaysia ahead.
Malaysia ranks 125th and Singapore ranks 124th of 157 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Malaysia averaged higher in 3 and Singapore in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malaysia | Singapore | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17.8% | 15.1% | 2.7% | Malaysia |
| 2000s | 18.4% | 14.7% | 3.7% | Malaysia |
| 2010s | 18.3% | 13.6% | 4.7% | Malaysia |
| 2020s | 17.7% | 18.4% | 0.7% | Singapore |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher central government spending as share of gdp, Malaysia or Singapore?
- Singapore, at 17.1% against 17.0% in Malaysia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in central government spending as share of gdp between Malaysia and Singapore?
- 0.1%, with Singapore ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and Singapore?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do Malaysia and Singapore rank globally for central government spending as share of gdp?
- Malaysia ranks 125th and Singapore ranks 124th 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.