General government final consumption expenditure in Australia
Australia: General government final consumption expenditure was 23.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
General government final consumption expenditure in Australia, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Australia recorded 23.1% for general government final consumption expenditure in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.5% on the previous year and up 21.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, general government final consumption expenditure in Australia peaked at 23.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 11.1%, in 1960.
Australia ranks 33rd of 187 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
General government final consumption expenditure in Australia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 11.1% | — |
| 1961 | 11.3% | +2.0% |
| 1962 | 11.9% | +5.7% |
| 1963 | 11.7% | -2.4% |
| 1964 | 11.4% | -2.6% |
| 1965 | 11.9% | +4.6% |
| 1966 | 12.8% | +7.7% |
| 1967 | 12.8% | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 13.6% | +6.5% |
| 1969 | 13.0% | -4.0% |
| 1970 | 13.1% | +0.9% |
| 1971 | 13.9% | +5.6% |
| 1972 | 14.4% | +3.6% |
| 1973 | 14.6% | +1.4% |
| 1974 | 14.4% | -1.1% |
| 1975 | 16.8% | +16.2% |
| 1976 | 17.9% | +6.5% |
| 1977 | 17.4% | -2.3% |
| 1978 | 17.8% | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 17.3% | -2.6% |
| 1980 | 17.2% | -0.8% |
| 1981 | 17.8% | +3.5% |
| 1982 | 17.7% | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 18.6% | +5.1% |
| 1984 | 18.3% | -1.8% |
| 1985 | 19.2% | +5.1% |
| 1986 | 19.4% | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 19.3% | -0.3% |
| 1988 | 18.4% | -4.7% |
| 1989 | 17.8% | -3.7% |
| 1990 | 17.6% | -0.8% |
| 1991 | 18.6% | +5.6% |
| 1992 | 19.5% | +4.6% |
| 1993 | 19.3% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 18.8% | -2.9% |
| 1995 | 18.6% | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 18.6% | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 18.2% | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 18.2% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 18.7% | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 18.5% | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 18.5% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 18.3% | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 18.4% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 18.3% | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 18.4% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 18.3% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 18.1% | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 18.1% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 18.4% | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 18.8% | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 18.6% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 18.8% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 18.8% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 18.7% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 19.1% | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 19.9% | +4.1% |
| 2017 | 19.9% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 19.9% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 20.3% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 21.8% | +7.5% |
| 2021 | 22.4% | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 22.0% | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 21.2% | -3.5% |
| 2024 | 22.1% | +4.2% |
| 2025 | 23.1% | +4.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 12.1% | 11.1% | 13.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 15.8% | 13.1% | 17.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 18.4% | 17.2% | 19.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.6% | 17.6% | 19.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.3% | 18.1% | 18.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.3% | 18.6% | 20.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.1% | 21.2% | 23.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More economy & growth data for Australia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.36 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.26 Percent per annum (2029)
- Gross capital formation (current US$), annual growth rate 2.94 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2446 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current US$), per capita 15,931 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current LCU), annual growth rate 4.28 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current LCU), per unit of GDP 0.3779 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current LCU), per capita 24,616 current LCU per person (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), annual growth rate 2.97 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2266 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is general government final consumption expenditure in Australia?
- General government final consumption expenditure in Australia was 23.1% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs).
- What is the highest general government final consumption expenditure recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 23.1% in 2025.
- What is the lowest general government final consumption expenditure recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.1% in 1960.
- How does Australia rank for general government final consumption expenditure?
- Australia ranks 33rd out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is general government final consumption expenditure rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs), published as part of General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Final consumption expenditure is expenditure on goods and services by resident institutional units for the direct satisfaction of human needs or wants, whether individual or collective. General government FCE includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees), and most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. 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.