Expense in OECD members
OECD members: Expense was 30.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Expense in OECD members, 1972–2023
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
OECD members recorded 30.4% for expense in 2023.
The figure is up 2.9% on the previous year and up 7.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expense in OECD members peaked at 34.4% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 18.9%, in 1972.
That places OECD members 9th out of 24 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 52 years of available data.
Expense in OECD members, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 18.9% | — |
| 1973 | 19.5% | +3.2% |
| 1974 | 20.2% | +3.8% |
| 1975 | 22.2% | +9.6% |
| 1976 | 22.5% | +1.7% |
| 1977 | 22.6% | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 22.9% | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 23.1% | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 24.2% | +4.7% |
| 1981 | 24.4% | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 25.8% | +6.0% |
| 1983 | 25.8% | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 25.2% | -2.4% |
| 1985 | 25.5% | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 26.2% | +2.9% |
| 1987 | 25.8% | -1.5% |
| 1988 | 25.0% | -3.4% |
| 1989 | 24.5% | -1.8% |
| 1990 | 24.7% | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 27.4% | +11.0% |
| 1992 | 27.7% | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 27.9% | +0.9% |
| 1994 | 26.2% | -6.4% |
| 1995 | 27.3% | +4.2% |
| 1996 | 26.3% | -3.4% |
| 1997 | 25.5% | -3.0% |
| 1998 | 25.5% | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 25.0% | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 24.6% | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 25.7% | +4.4% |
| 2002 | 26.1% | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 26.5% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 26.1% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 26.2% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 25.9% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 25.7% | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 27.0% | +5.3% |
| 2009 | 29.6% | +9.5% |
| 2010 | 29.7% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 29.0% | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 28.8% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 28.3% | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 27.9% | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 27.5% | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 27.3% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 27.1% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 27.0% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 27.2% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 34.4% | +26.6% |
| 2021 | 33.1% | -3.9% |
| 2022 | 29.6% | -10.6% |
| 2023 | 30.4% | +2.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 21.5% | 18.9% | 23.1% | 8 |
| 1980s | 25.3% | 24.2% | 26.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 26.3% | 24.7% | 27.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.3% | 24.6% | 29.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.0% | 27.0% | 29.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.9% | 29.6% | 34.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
More economy & growth data for OECD members
- Gross fixed capital formation 1.0% (2024)
- Exports of goods and services 16.50 trillion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Exports of goods and services 2.5% (2025)
- Exports of goods and services 28.3% (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation 15.18 trillion current US$ (2024)
- Gross fixed capital formation 12.72 trillion constant 2015 US$ (2024)
- Gross capital formation 12.80 trillion constant 2015 US$ (2024)
- Gross capital formation 22.5% (2024)
- Gross capital formation 0.8% (2024)
- Exports of goods and services 20.50 trillion current US$ (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expense in OECD members?
- Expense in OECD members was 30.4% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest expense recorded in OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 34.4% in 2020.
- What is the lowest expense recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.9% in 1972.
- How does OECD members rank for expense?
- OECD members ranks 9th out of 24 groups with data for 2023.
- Is expense rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this OECD members 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.