Statizoid

Expense (% of GDP) by country

Expense is a decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.

Countries reporting
154
Highest
103.6%
Nauru
Lowest
3.8%
United Arab Emirates
Median
26.1%
Years covered
53
1972–2024
Data points
5,211

What the numbers show

Expense (% of GDP) is currently reported for 154 countries. The highest value is 103.6% in Nauru; the lowest is 3.8% in United Arab Emirates.

The median across all reporting countries is 26.1%, and the mean is 27.3%.

The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 27.

Over the past decade 104 countries rose and 48 fell. The largest increase was in Somalia (up 102.3%), and the largest decrease in Lebanon (down 76.1%).

Expense: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Nauru 103.6% 2020 up 19.4% rising
2 Kiribati 83.7% 2023 up 39.0% rising
3 Ukraine 65.6% 2023 up 69.5% rising
4 Marshall Islands 59.4% 2020 up 9.3% rising
5 Palau 59.0% 2020 up 15.5% falling
6 East Timor 52.5% 2022 down 32.8% falling
7 Greece 47.3% 2023 down 22.9% rising
8 Italy 47.3% 2023 up 8.1% rising
9 France 47.3% 2023 down 3.7% rising
10 Austria 46.0% 2023 down 2.6% rising
11 Finland 44.9% 2023 up 11.5% rising
12 Slovenia 42.9% 2023 down 21.4% rising
13 Hungary 42.4% 2022 down 5.1% falling
15 United Kingdom 41.2% 2023 up 3.0% rising
16 San Marino 40.5% 2023 down 12.0% rising
17 Lesotho 40.2% 2022 up 0.4% rising
18 Netherlands 40.0% 2023 down 5.8% falling
19 Slovakia 39.8% 2022 up 1.6% falling
20 Belgium 39.7% 2022 down 13.1% falling
21 Afghanistan 39.2% 2017 up 61.8% rising
22 Poland 39.1% 2023 up 8.9% falling
23 Cyprus 38.5% 2023 down 14.4% rising
24 Croatia 38.1% 2023 down 5.4% falling
25 Estonia 37.7% 2023 up 10.5% rising
26 Israel 37.3% 2023 up 3.1% falling
27 Romania 37.3% 2022 up 15.5% flat
28 Portugal 37.2% 2023 down 18.5% rising
29 Uruguay 36.5% 2023 up 24.5% rising
30 Namibia 36.2% 2023 up 2.0% rising
31 Bulgaria 35.8% 2023 up 8.6% falling
32 New Zealand 35.5% 2022 up 1.5% flat
33 Serbia 35.5% 2022 up 0.1% rising
34 Bosnia and Herzegovina 35.3% 2023 down 5.5% flat
35 Tonga 34.7% 2023 up 25.3% rising
36 Kuwait 34.6% 2006 down 17.3% volatile
37 Norway 34.5% 2023 up 3.7% rising
38 Moldova 34.5% 2023 up 27.1% flat
39 Czechia 34.4% 2022 down 5.2% falling
40 Latvia 34.2% 2023 up 7.9% rising
41 Spain 34.0% 2023 down 3.7% rising
42 Lithuania 33.9% 2023 up 2.4% rising
43 Tunisia 33.8% 2012 up 31.5% rising
45 South Africa 33.4% 2022 up 10.1% rising
46 North Macedonia 33.4% 2023 up 18.2% rising
47 Denmark 33.3% 2023 down 17.3% rising
48 Trinidad and Tobago 33.3% 2019 up 0.9% rising
49 Colombia 33.3% 2023 down 0.0% rising
50 Turkey 33.0% 2023 up 13.9% rising
51 Sweden 32.5% 2022 down 1.5% rising
52 Brazil 32.4% 2023 up 15.2% rising
53 Iceland 32.0% 2023 down 6.8% rising
54 Mongolia 31.7% 2021 up 29.7% rising
55 Germany 31.2% 2022 up 11.6% rising
56 Cape Verde 30.9% 2020 up 71.7% flat
57 Ecuador 30.4% 2022 down 9.2% falling
58 Egypt 30.2% 2015 up 10.4% falling
59 Russia 30.0% 2023 up 21.8% rising
60 Maldives 29.5% 2021 up 31.6% rising
61 Mauritius 29.1% 2023 up 36.6% rising
62 Solomon Islands 28.9% 2022 up 14.2% rising
63 Barbados 28.8% 2016 up 7.0% rising
64 Costa Rica 28.6% 2023 up 7.8% rising
65 Belarus 28.5% 2023 up 0.8% flat
66 South Korea 28.3% 2023 up 23.4% rising
67 El Salvador 27.9% 2023 up 21.4% rising
68 Kenya 27.8% 2023 up 35.6% rising
69 Fiji 27.8% 2023 up 13.8% rising
70 Iraq 27.6% 2019 up 7.4% flat
71 Australia 27.6% 2022 up 6.0% rising
72 Jamaica 27.5% 2020 down 5.0% rising
73 Saint Kitts and Nevis 26.7% 2020 up 6.1% rising
74 Samoa 26.7% 2023 down 7.2% rising
75 Vanuatu 26.6% 2023 up 38.4% rising
76 Morocco 26.6% 2023 up 3.6% rising
77 Botswana 26.5% 2024 down 8.9% falling
78 Palestine 26.2% 2021 down 7.2% falling
79 Bahrain 26.1% 2020 up 39.8% rising
80 Mozambique 26.0% 2022 up 16.9% rising
81 Jordan 25.9% 2023 up 8.4% falling
82 Albania 25.4% 2023 up 5.4% flat
83 Georgia 25.2% 2023 up 2.6% rising
84 Zambia 25.1% 2021 up 73.4% rising
85 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 24.7% 2017 up 25.8% rising
86 Seychelles 24.6% 2008 down 43.2% falling
87 Eswatini 24.6% 2021 up 8.5% rising
88 Chile 24.6% 2023 up 21.6% falling
89 United States 24.4% 2023 up 6.8% rising
90 Honduras 24.4% 2020 up 7.2% rising
91 Saudi Arabia 24.2% 2023 down 4.5% flat
92 Bhutan 24.1% 2020 up 19.6% flat
93 Kyrgyzstan 23.7% 2023 down 8.8% falling
94 Senegal 23.6% 2023 up 28.8% rising
95 Micronesia (country) 23.4% 2020 up 37.3% rising
96 Azerbaijan 23.0% 2022 up 3.7% rising
97 Peru 22.8% 2021 up 29.6% rising
98 Ghana 22.7% 2022 down 15.6% flat
99 Mexico 22.5% 2023 up 8.5% rising
100 Uzbekistan 22.3% 2023 up 66.6% rising
101 Belize 22.3% 2017 up 24.5% rising
102 Bolivia 21.8% 2007 up 10.8% rising
103 Argentina 21.0% 2023 down 14.5% rising
104 Armenia 20.9% 2023 down 7.5% rising
105 Thailand 20.7% 2023 up 4.6% rising
106 Bahamas 20.3% 2023 up 25.2% rising
107 Papua New Guinea 20.3% 2023 down 6.6% falling
108 Malawi 20.2% 2022 up 69.9% rising
109 Japan 20.1% 2022 up 11.8% rising
110 Iran 19.6% 2009 up 18.4% falling
111 Macao 19.6% 2023 up 87.1% volatile
112 Burkina Faso 19.6% 2023 up 58.7% rising
113 Nepal 19.4% 2021 up 39.5% rising
115 Canada 19.1% 2023 up 11.5% falling
116 Paraguay 18.9% 2023 up 31.9% rising
117 Dominican Republic 18.1% 2023 up 16.7% rising
118 Sri Lanka 18.0% 2023 up 27.4% falling
119 Rwanda 18.0% 2023 up 1.8% rising
120 Cote d'Ivoire 17.9% 2023 up 80.1% rising
121 Saint Lucia 17.6% 2017 up 31.7% rising
122 Kazakhstan 17.4% 2023 up 19.4% rising
123 Panama 17.1% 2021 up 32.8% rising
124 Singapore 17.1% 2023 up 38.3% falling
125 Malaysia 17.0% 2023 down 17.4% flat
126 Philippines 16.9% 2023 up 27.8% rising
127 Uganda 16.6% 2023 up 54.1% rising
128 Tanzania 16.3% 2024 up 1.6% rising
129 Nicaragua 16.3% 2023 up 7.9% volatile
130 Congo 16.1% 2021 up 58.5% falling
131 Switzerland 16.1% 2023 down 2.3% rising
132 Togo 16.0% 2023 up 24.9% rising
133 Guinea-Bissau 15.5% 2023 up 18.0% rising
134 Indonesia 15.4% 2009 down 5.9% rising
135 Angola 14.6% 2019 down 33.6% falling
136 Gabon 14.1% 2021 down 13.7% falling
137 Myanmar 13.8% 2019 up 30.6% volatile
138 India 13.7% 2022 down 15.1% rising
139 Guatemala 13.5% 2023 up 3.7% rising
140 Cambodia 12.9% 2023 up 42.0% rising
141 Democratic Republic of Congo 12.4% 2022 down 10.3% flat
142 Cameroon 12.4% 2021 down 2.6% flat
143 Burundi 12.3% 2021 down 38.7% falling
144 Mali 12.2% 2020 up 13.8% rising
145 Central African Republic 11.7% 2021 down 13.4% falling
146 Equatorial Guinea 11.0% 2022 up 54.8% rising
147 Madagascar 11.0% 2023 up 17.3% rising
148 Tajikistan 11.0% 2023 — rising
149 Zimbabwe 11.0% 2018 up 16.0% flat
150 Laos 10.3% 2022 down 6.1% flat
151 Niger 10.2% 1980 — flat
152 Sudan 9.7% 2016 down 37.9% volatile
153 Bangladesh 8.3% 2021 down 15.4% flat
154 Somalia 6.3% 2023 up 102.3% rising
155 Lebanon 6.3% 2021 down 76.1% falling
156 Ethiopia 6.1% 2023 down 40.1% falling
157 United Arab Emirates 3.8% 2023 down 1.3% falling

Regions and income groups

Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.

About this data

Indicator
Expense (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
183 places, 5,211 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed

Expense is a decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.