General government final consumption expenditure in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: General government final consumption expenditure was 20.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
General government final consumption expenditure in Saudi Arabia, 1968–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, general government final consumption expenditure in Saudi Arabia stood at 20.6%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.5% on the previous year and down 28.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, general government final consumption expenditure in Saudi Arabia peaked at 35.2% in 1987 and was at its lowest, 8.4%, in 1974.
Saudi Arabia ranks 53rd of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 58 years of available data.
General government final consumption expenditure in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 16.2% | — |
| 1969 | 16.8% | +3.8% |
| 1970 | 15.9% | -5.8% |
| 1971 | 13.3% | -15.9% |
| 1972 | 12.7% | -4.6% |
| 1973 | 14.2% | +11.2% |
| 1974 | 8.4% | -40.4% |
| 1975 | 14.5% | +72.3% |
| 1976 | 16.9% | +16.0% |
| 1977 | 18.3% | +8.7% |
| 1978 | 24.3% | +32.4% |
| 1979 | 21.7% | -10.8% |
| 1980 | 15.9% | -26.6% |
| 1981 | 19.5% | +23.0% |
| 1982 | 26.2% | +33.9% |
| 1983 | 29.8% | +13.7% |
| 1984 | 30.1% | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 31.9% | +5.9% |
| 1986 | 34.7% | +8.7% |
| 1987 | 35.2% | +1.6% |
| 1988 | 30.9% | -12.2% |
| 1989 | 33.6% | +8.6% |
| 1990 | 29.0% | -13.6% |
| 1991 | 34.2% | +17.7% |
| 1992 | 29.7% | -12.9% |
| 1993 | 26.3% | -11.6% |
| 1994 | 24.2% | -8.0% |
| 1995 | 23.5% | -3.1% |
| 1996 | 24.4% | +3.9% |
| 1997 | 26.0% | +6.8% |
| 1998 | 28.2% | +8.3% |
| 1999 | 25.4% | -9.9% |
| 2000 | 25.9% | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 27.3% | +5.7% |
| 2002 | 26.0% | -5.0% |
| 2003 | 24.5% | -5.7% |
| 2004 | 22.9% | -6.6% |
| 2005 | 21.3% | -6.6% |
| 2006 | 22.0% | +3.3% |
| 2007 | 20.7% | -6.2% |
| 2008 | 17.7% | -14.3% |
| 2009 | 22.2% | +25.3% |
| 2010 | 20.2% | -8.9% |
| 2011 | 19.9% | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 20.2% | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 22.4% | +10.9% |
| 2014 | 25.6% | +14.5% |
| 2015 | 28.9% | +13.0% |
| 2016 | 24.8% | -14.1% |
| 2017 | 23.4% | -5.9% |
| 2018 | 23.2% | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 22.7% | -2.1% |
| 2020 | 27.4% | +20.7% |
| 2021 | 21.7% | -20.8% |
| 2022 | 19.1% | -11.7% |
| 2023 | 20.9% | +9.4% |
| 2024 | 21.3% | +2.0% |
| 2025 | 20.6% | -3.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 16.5% | 16.2% | 16.8% | 2 |
| 1970s | 16.0% | 8.4% | 24.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 28.8% | 15.9% | 35.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 27.1% | 23.5% | 34.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 23.0% | 17.7% | 27.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.1% | 19.9% | 28.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.8% | 19.1% | 27.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More economy & growth data for Saudi Arabia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.26 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.52 Percent per annum (2029)
- Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 1.26 % change on previous year (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.5126 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$), per capita 17,704 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 2.65 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.9843 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per capita 33,994 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), annual growth rate 2.65 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per unit of GDP 3.69 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is general government final consumption expenditure in Saudi Arabia?
- General government final consumption expenditure in Saudi Arabia was 20.6% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs).
- What is the highest general government final consumption expenditure recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 35.2% in 1987.
- What is the lowest general government final consumption expenditure recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.4% in 1974.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for general government final consumption expenditure?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 53rd out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is general government final consumption expenditure rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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.