Expense in Germany

Germany: Expense was 31.2% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
31.2%
Change on year
down 4.6%
World rank
55th
of 157 countries
All-time high
38.2%
in 1995
All-time low
20.1%
in 1972
Years of data
51
1972–2022

Expense in Germany, 1972–2022

010203040197219972022

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for expense in Germany is 31.2%, measured in 2022.

That represents a change of down 4.6% on the previous year and up 11.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, expense in Germany peaked at 38.2% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 20.1%, in 1972.

That places Germany 55th 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 Germany, year by year

Annual values for Expense (% of GDP) in Germany, 1972 to 2022.
Year % of GDP Change
1972 20.1%
1973 20.5% +2.1%
1974 22.1% +7.8%
1975 24.4% +10.3%
1976 24.6% +0.7%
1977 24.6% +0.3%
1978 24.6% -0.0%
1979 24.2% -1.8%
1980 25.3% +4.7%
1981 26.1% +3.1%
1982 26.3% +0.9%
1983 25.9% -1.6%
1984 26.1% +0.8%
1985 25.7% -1.6%
1986 25.3% -1.6%
1987 25.7% +1.6%
1988 25.5% -0.8%
1989 24.5% -3.9%
1990 24.6% +0.5%
1991 31.0% +25.9%
1992 31.2% +0.6%
1993 31.7% +1.7%
1994 31.7% +0.2%
1995 38.2% +20.4%
1996 32.3% -15.4%
1997 31.8% -1.7%
1998 31.6% -0.7%
1999 31.4% -0.7%
2000 31.0% -1.1%
2001 30.4% -1.9%
2002 30.8% +1.3%
2003 31.2% +1.1%
2004 30.0% -3.8%
2005 30.0% +0.1%
2006 28.7% -4.4%
2007 27.5% -4.1%
2008 27.8% +1.0%
2009 30.4% +9.5%
2010 30.8% +1.0%
2011 28.3% -7.9%
2012 27.9% -1.3%
2013 28.0% +0.2%
2014 27.5% -1.7%
2015 27.4% -0.3%
2016 27.4% -0.2%
2017 27.5% +0.5%
2018 27.4% -0.6%
2019 27.9% +1.9%
2020 32.2% +15.3%
2021 32.7% +1.6%
2022 31.2% -4.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 23.1% 20.1% 24.6% 8
1980s 25.6% 24.5% 26.3% 10
1990s 31.5% 24.6% 38.2% 10
2000s 29.8% 27.5% 31.2% 10
2010s 28.0% 27.4% 30.8% 10
2020s 32.0% 31.2% 32.7% 3

Countries ranked near Germany

  1. 52 Brazil 32.4% compare
  2. 53 Iceland 32.0% compare
  3. 54 Mongolia 31.7% compare
  4. 56 Cape Verde 30.9% compare
  5. 57 Ecuador 30.4% compare
  6. 58 Egypt 30.2% compare

See the full ranking of 183 places →

More economy & growth data for Germany

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is expense in Germany?
Expense in Germany was 31.2% in 2022, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest expense recorded in Germany?
The highest recorded value was 38.2% in 1995.
What is the lowest expense recorded in Germany?
The lowest recorded value was 20.1% in 1972.
How does Germany rank for expense?
Germany ranks 55th out of 157 countries with data for 2022.
Is expense rising or falling in Germany?
Over the last ten years it is up 11.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Germany 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 Germany. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/expense-percent-of-gdp/germany/

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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.