Expense in Lower middle income

Lower middle income: Expense was 15.7% in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
15.7%
Change on year
down 0.8%
Rank
20th
of 24 groups
All-time high
18.8%
in 2008
All-time low
15.6%
in 2016
Years of data
17
2002–2018

Expense in Lower middle income, 2002–2018

051015202002201020182002: 17.5 % of GDP2003: 17 % of GDP2004: 16.4 % of GDP2005: 16.9 % of GDP2006: 17.4 % of GDP2007: 17.3 % of GDP2008: 18.8 % of GDP2009: 18.5 % of GDP2010: 18.1 % of GDP2011: 17 % of GDP2012: 17.8 % of GDP2013: 18.3 % of GDP2014: 17.4 % of GDP2015: 17.1 % of GDP2016: 15.6 % of GDP2017: 15.8 % of GDP2018: 15.7 % of GDP

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for expense in Lower middle income is 15.7%, measured in 2018.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 16.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, expense in Lower middle income peaked at 18.8% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 15.6%, in 2016.

Lower middle income ranks 20th of 24 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.

Expense in Lower middle income, year by year

Annual values for Expense (% of GDP) in Lower middle income, 2002 to 2018.
Year % of GDP Change
2002 17.5%
2003 17.0% -2.5%
2004 16.4% -4.0%
2005 16.9% +3.0%
2006 17.4% +3.3%
2007 17.3% -0.9%
2008 18.8% +9.0%
2009 18.5% -1.9%
2010 18.1% -2.0%
2011 17.0% -6.2%
2012 17.8% +5.1%
2013 18.3% +2.6%
2014 17.4% -5.0%
2015 17.1% -1.9%
2016 15.6% -8.3%
2017 15.8% +1.2%
2018 15.7% -0.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 17.5% 16.4% 18.8% 8
2010s 17.0% 15.6% 18.3% 9

Countries ranked near Lower middle income

  1. 17 Lesotho 40.2% compare
  2. 18 Netherlands 40.0% compare
  3. 19 Slovakia 39.8% compare
  4. 20 Belgium 39.7% compare
  5. 21 Afghanistan 39.2% compare
  6. 22 Poland 39.1% compare
  7. 23 Cyprus 38.5% compare

See the full ranking of 183 places →

More economy & growth data for Lower middle income

All data for Lower middle income →

Frequently asked questions

What is expense in Lower middle income?
Expense in Lower middle income was 15.7% in 2018, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest expense recorded in Lower middle income?
The highest recorded value was 18.8% in 2008.
What is the lowest expense recorded in Lower middle income?
The lowest recorded value was 15.6% in 2016.
How does Lower middle income rank for expense?
Lower middle income ranks 20th out of 24 groups with data for 2018.
Is expense rising or falling in Lower middle income?
Over the last ten years it is down 16.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Lower middle income 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 Lower middle income. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/expense-percent-of-gdp/lower-middle-income/

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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.