Expense in Europe & Central Asia
Europe & Central Asia: Expense was 38.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Expense in Europe & Central Asia, 1972–2023
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Europe & Central Asia recorded 38.9% for expense in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.8% on the previous year and up 7.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expense in Europe & Central Asia peaked at 40.8% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 23.5%, in 1972.
That places Europe & Central Asia 3rd out of 26 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 52 years of available data.
Expense in Europe & Central Asia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 23.5% | — |
| 1973 | 24.3% | +3.5% |
| 1974 | 25.8% | +6.0% |
| 1975 | 28.3% | +9.9% |
| 1976 | 28.5% | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 28.8% | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 29.7% | +3.1% |
| 1979 | 30.2% | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 31.3% | +3.7% |
| 1981 | 31.8% | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 33.6% | +5.9% |
| 1983 | 32.7% | -2.9% |
| 1984 | 32.7% | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 33.6% | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 34.5% | +2.8% |
| 1987 | 34.4% | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 33.1% | -3.8% |
| 1989 | 32.6% | -1.5% |
| 1990 | 32.5% | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 34.7% | +6.9% |
| 1992 | 36.3% | +4.4% |
| 1993 | 37.3% | +2.9% |
| 1994 | 35.9% | -3.8% |
| 1995 | 37.4% | +4.2% |
| 1996 | 38.1% | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 36.9% | -3.2% |
| 1998 | 35.1% | -4.8% |
| 1999 | 35.0% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 34.4% | -1.6% |
| 2001 | 34.6% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 35.1% | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 35.5% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 34.5% | -2.9% |
| 2005 | 34.5% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 34.0% | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 33.9% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 34.5% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 38.2% | +10.7% |
| 2010 | 37.7% | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 36.0% | -4.6% |
| 2012 | 36.7% | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 36.4% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 36.1% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 35.8% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 35.5% | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 35.3% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 34.8% | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 34.8% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 40.8% | +17.4% |
| 2021 | 38.7% | -5.2% |
| 2022 | 37.1% | -4.1% |
| 2023 | 38.9% | +4.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 27.4% | 23.5% | 30.2% | 8 |
| 1980s | 33.0% | 31.3% | 34.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 35.9% | 32.5% | 38.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 34.9% | 33.9% | 38.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.9% | 34.8% | 37.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.9% | 37.1% | 40.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia
More economy & growth data for Europe & Central Asia
- GNI, Atlas method (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.9485 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), per capita 26,381 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross domestic savings (current US$), annual growth rate 8.43 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross domestic savings (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2569 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross domestic savings (current US$), per capita 8,891 current US$ per person (2025)
- GNI, Atlas method (current US$), annual growth rate 9.99 % change on previous year (2025)
- GNI (current US$), annual growth rate 9.81 % change on previous year (2025)
- GNI (current US$), per capita 34,414 current US$ per person (2025)
- GNI (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.9945 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.7624 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expense in Europe & Central Asia?
- Expense in Europe & Central Asia was 38.9% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest expense recorded in Europe & Central Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 40.8% in 2020.
- What is the lowest expense recorded in Europe & Central Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.5% in 1972.
- How does Europe & Central Asia rank for expense?
- Europe & Central Asia ranks 3rd out of 26 groups with data for 2023.
- Is expense rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia 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.