Papua New Guinea vs Thailand: Central government spending as share of GDP
Papua New Guinea
20.3%
in 2023
Thailand
20.7%
in 2023
Papua New Guinea rank
107th
Thailand rank
105th
Central government spending as share of GDP over time
- Papua New Guinea
- Thailand
How they compare
Thailand currently reports 20.7% against 20.3% in Papua New Guinea, a difference of 0.4%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 23 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Papua New Guinea ahead.
Papua New Guinea ranks 107th and Thailand ranks 105th of 157 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Papua New Guinea averaged higher in 2 and Thailand in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Papua New Guinea | Thailand | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 27.8% | 12.9% | 14.9% | Papua New Guinea |
| 2000s | 26.4% | 16.5% | 9.9% | Papua New Guinea |
| 2010s | 19.1% | 19.3% | 0.2% | Thailand |
| 2020s | 20.1% | 22.7% | 2.6% | Thailand |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher central government spending as share of gdp, Papua New Guinea or Thailand?
- Thailand, at 20.7% against 20.3% in Papua New Guinea as of 2023.
- What is the difference in central government spending as share of gdp between Papua New Guinea and Thailand?
- 0.4%, with Thailand ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Papua New Guinea and Thailand?
- 23 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Papua New Guinea and Thailand rank globally for central government spending as share of gdp?
- Papua New Guinea ranks 107th and Thailand ranks 105th 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.