Portugal vs Romania: Central government spending as share of GDP
Portugal
37.2%
in 2023
Romania
37.3%
in 2022
Portugal rank
28th
Romania rank
27th
Central government spending as share of GDP over time
- Portugal
- Romania
How they compare
Romania currently reports 37.3% against 37.2% in Portugal, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 42 shared years of data; in 1981 it was Romania ahead.
Portugal ranks 28th and Romania ranks 27th of 157 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Portugal averaged higher in 4 and Romania in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Portugal | Romania | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 30.8% | 36.6% | 5.8% | Romania |
| 1990s | 35.9% | 31.5% | 4.5% | Portugal |
| 2000s | 39.8% | 32.4% | 7.3% | Portugal |
| 2010s | 43.1% | 32.9% | 10.2% | Portugal |
| 2020s | 42.1% | 37.6% | 4.5% | Portugal |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher central government spending as share of gdp, Portugal or Romania?
- Romania, at 37.3% against 37.2% in Portugal as of 2022.
- What is the difference in central government spending as share of gdp between Portugal and Romania?
- 0.1%, with Romania ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Portugal and Romania?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1981 to 2022.
- How do Portugal and Romania rank globally for central government spending as share of gdp?
- Portugal ranks 28th and Romania ranks 27th 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.