Expense in Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Expense was 39.2% in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
39.2%
Change on year
down 10.7%
World rank
21st
of 157 countries
All-time high
59.5%
in 2011
All-time low
20.6%
in 2006
Years of data
12
2006–2017

Expense in Afghanistan, 2006–2017

20304050602006201120172006: 20.6 % of GDP2007: 24.2 % of GDP2008: 50.7 % of GDP2009: 44.3 % of GDP2010: 50.9 % of GDP2011: 59.5 % of GDP2012: 42.3 % of GDP2013: 42.1 % of GDP2014: 44.6 % of GDP2015: 37 % of GDP2016: 43.9 % of GDP2017: 39.2 % of GDP

Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

In 2017, expense in Afghanistan stood at 39.2%.

The figure is down 10.7% on the previous year and up 61.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, expense in Afghanistan peaked at 59.5% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 20.6%, in 2006.

That places Afghanistan 21st out of 157 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.

Expense in Afghanistan, year by year

Annual values for Expense (% of GDP) in Afghanistan, 2006 to 2017.
Year % of GDP Change
2006 20.6%
2007 24.2% +17.8%
2008 50.7% +109.2%
2009 44.3% -12.6%
2010 50.9% +14.8%
2011 59.5% +17.0%
2012 42.3% -28.8%
2013 42.1% -0.6%
2014 44.6% +5.9%
2015 37.0% -17.0%
2016 43.9% +18.6%
2017 39.2% -10.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 35.0% 20.6% 50.7% 4
2010s 44.9% 37.0% 59.5% 8

Countries ranked near Afghanistan

  1. 18 Netherlands 40.0% compare
  2. 19 Slovakia 39.8% compare
  3. 20 Belgium 39.7% compare
  4. 22 Poland 39.1% compare
  5. 23 Cyprus 38.5% compare
  6. 24 Croatia 38.1% compare

See the full ranking of 183 places →

More economy & growth data for Afghanistan

All data for Afghanistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is expense in Afghanistan?
Expense in Afghanistan was 39.2% in 2017, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest expense recorded in Afghanistan?
The highest recorded value was 59.5% in 2011.
What is the lowest expense recorded in Afghanistan?
The lowest recorded value was 20.6% in 2006.
How does Afghanistan rank for expense?
Afghanistan ranks 21st out of 157 countries with data for 2017.
Is expense rising or falling in Afghanistan?
Over the last ten years it is up 61.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Expense (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Expense in Afghanistan. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/expense-percent-of-gdp/afghanistan/

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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.