Expense in Latin America & Caribbean

Latin America & Caribbean: Expense was 27.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
27.6%
Change on year
up 1.2%
Rank
17th
of 26 groups
All-time high
29.3%
in 2020
All-time low
24.2%
in 2010
Years of data
14
2010–2023

Expense in Latin America & Caribbean, 2010–2023

01020302010201620232010: 24.2 % of GDP2011: 24.5 % of GDP2012: 24.4 % of GDP2013: 25.2 % of GDP2014: 25.4 % of GDP2015: 27.2 % of GDP2016: 27.2 % of GDP2017: 26.3 % of GDP2018: 26.3 % of GDP2019: 26 % of GDP2020: 29.3 % of GDP2021: 26.4 % of GDP2022: 27.2 % of GDP2023: 27.6 % of GDP

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

Analysis

Latin America & Caribbean recorded 27.6% for expense in 2023.

The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 9.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, expense in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 29.3% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 24.2%, in 2010.

That places Latin America & Caribbean 17th out of 26 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.

Expense in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year

Annual values for Expense (% of GDP) in Latin America & Caribbean, 2010 to 2023.
Year % of GDP Change
2010 24.2%
2011 24.5% +0.9%
2012 24.4% -0.1%
2013 25.2% +3.2%
2014 25.4% +0.9%
2015 27.2% +6.9%
2016 27.2% -0.1%
2017 26.3% -3.2%
2018 26.3% +0.1%
2019 26.0% -1.1%
2020 29.3% +12.7%
2021 26.4% -9.8%
2022 27.2% +3.0%
2023 27.6% +1.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 25.7% 24.2% 27.2% 10
2020s 27.6% 26.4% 29.3% 4

Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean

  1. 14 Luxembourg 42.2% compare
  2. 15 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 41.2% compare
  3. 16 San Marino 40.5% compare
  4. 17 Lesotho 40.2% compare
  5. 18 Netherlands 40.0% compare
  6. 19 Slovakia 39.8% compare
  7. 20 Belgium 39.7% compare

See the full ranking of 183 places →

More economy & growth data for Latin America & Caribbean

All data for Latin America & Caribbean →

Frequently asked questions

What is expense in Latin America & Caribbean?
Expense in Latin America & Caribbean was 27.6% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest expense recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
The highest recorded value was 29.3% in 2020.
What is the lowest expense recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
The lowest recorded value was 24.2% in 2010.
How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for expense?
Latin America & Caribbean ranks 17th out of 26 groups with data for 2023.
Is expense rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
Over the last ten years it is up 9.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Latin America & Caribbean 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 Latin America & Caribbean. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/expense-percent-of-gdp/latin-america-and-caribbean/

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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.