Expense in Australia
Australia: Expense was 27.6% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Expense in Australia, 1972–2022
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2022, expense in Australia stood at 27.6%.
The figure is down 15.3% on the previous year and up 6.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expense in Australia peaked at 32.6% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 18.0%, in 1972.
That places Australia 71st out of 157 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Expense in Australia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 18.0% | — |
| 1973 | 18.4% | +2.2% |
| 1974 | 18.1% | -1.7% |
| 1975 | 21.2% | +17.2% |
| 1976 | 23.6% | +11.2% |
| 1977 | 23.6% | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 24.5% | +3.7% |
| 1979 | 23.7% | -3.3% |
| 1980 | 23.3% | -1.4% |
| 1981 | 23.5% | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 23.3% | -1.1% |
| 1983 | 25.5% | +9.8% |
| 1984 | 26.4% | +3.5% |
| 1985 | 26.4% | -0.2% |
| 1986 | 26.1% | -1.1% |
| 1987 | 25.7% | -1.7% |
| 1988 | 24.2% | -5.8% |
| 1989 | 22.2% | -8.3% |
| 1990 | 21.8% | -1.7% |
| 1991 | 23.1% | +6.2% |
| 1992 | 24.4% | +5.5% |
| 1993 | 24.9% | +2.2% |
| 1994 | 25.1% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 25.3% | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 24.5% | -3.2% |
| 1997 | 23.8% | -3.1% |
| 1998 | 21.3% | -10.4% |
| 1999 | 24.5% | +14.9% |
| 2000 | 24.0% | -1.9% |
| 2001 | 26.1% | +8.9% |
| 2002 | 26.3% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 25.7% | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 25.6% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 25.5% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 24.9% | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 24.4% | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 24.3% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 26.4% | +8.7% |
| 2010 | 26.6% | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 25.9% | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 26.0% | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 25.8% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 26.1% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 26.7% | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 26.9% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 26.5% | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 26.1% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 26.1% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 30.1% | +15.6% |
| 2021 | 32.6% | +8.0% |
| 2022 | 27.6% | -15.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 21.4% | 18.0% | 24.5% | 8 |
| 1980s | 24.7% | 22.2% | 26.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.9% | 21.3% | 25.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.3% | 24.0% | 26.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.3% | 25.8% | 26.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.1% | 27.6% | 32.6% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More economy & growth data for Australia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.36 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.26 Percent per annum (2029)
- GNI, Atlas method (current US$), annual growth rate 3.87 % change on previous year (2025)
- GNI, Atlas method (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.9845 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- GNI, Atlas method (current US$), per capita 64,119 current US$ per person (2025)
- GNI (current US$), annual growth rate 3.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- GNI (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.9722 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- GNI (current US$), per capita 63,317 current US$ per person (2025)
- GNI (current LCU), annual growth rate 4.45 % change on previous year (2025)
- GNI (current LCU), per unit of GDP 1.5 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expense in Australia?
- Expense in Australia was 27.6% in 2022, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest expense recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 32.6% in 2021.
- What is the lowest expense recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.0% in 1972.
- How does Australia rank for expense?
- Australia ranks 71st out of 157 countries with data for 2022.
- Is expense rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia 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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About this data
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.