Netherlands vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Central government spending as share of GDP
Netherlands
40.0%
in 2023
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
41.2%
in 2023
Netherlands rank
18th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
15th
Central government spending as share of GDP over time
- Netherlands
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
How they compare
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland currently reports 41.2% against 40.0% in Netherlands, a difference of 1.2%.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 51 shared years of data; in 1973 it was Netherlands ahead.
Netherlands ranks 18th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 15th of 157 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Netherlands averaged higher in 5 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Netherlands | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 40.4% | 34.0% | 6.4% | Netherlands |
| 1980s | 48.2% | 34.9% | 13.3% | Netherlands |
| 1990s | 43.9% | 35.4% | 8.5% | Netherlands |
| 2000s | 38.6% | 37.6% | 0.9% | Netherlands |
| 2010s | 40.5% | 39.4% | 1.0% | Netherlands |
| 2020s | 41.0% | 43.1% | 2.1% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher central government spending as share of gdp, Netherlands or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at 41.2% against 40.0% in Netherlands as of 2023.
- What is the difference in central government spending as share of gdp between Netherlands and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 1.2%, with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Netherlands and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 51 years are reported by both, from 1973 to 2023.
- How do Netherlands and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for central government spending as share of gdp?
- Netherlands ranks 18th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 15th 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.