General government final consumption expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): General government final consumption expenditure was 16.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
General government final consumption expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1965–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, general government final consumption expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) stood at 16.9%.
That represents a change of down 1.4% on the previous year and up 11.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, general government final consumption expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 20.7% in 1992 and was at its lowest, 10.5%, in 1965.
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 16th of 43 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 61 years of available data.
General government final consumption expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 10.5% | — |
| 1966 | 10.5% | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 11.2% | +6.6% |
| 1968 | 11.9% | +7.0% |
| 1969 | 11.7% | -2.4% |
| 1970 | 11.5% | -1.6% |
| 1971 | 12.9% | +12.6% |
| 1972 | 12.2% | -5.5% |
| 1973 | 11.8% | -3.3% |
| 1974 | 11.3% | -4.4% |
| 1975 | 12.5% | +11.0% |
| 1976 | 12.1% | -3.1% |
| 1977 | 12.4% | +2.4% |
| 1978 | 13.3% | +7.2% |
| 1979 | 13.8% | +3.5% |
| 1980 | 14.3% | +3.9% |
| 1981 | 10.6% | -25.8% |
| 1982 | 11.1% | +4.0% |
| 1983 | 12.6% | +13.5% |
| 1984 | 13.9% | +10.3% |
| 1985 | 12.8% | -7.6% |
| 1986 | 16.8% | +30.9% |
| 1987 | 18.7% | +11.3% |
| 1988 | 18.2% | -2.3% |
| 1989 | 18.0% | -1.5% |
| 1990 | 18.5% | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 18.5% | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 20.7% | +11.9% |
| 1993 | 20.2% | -2.8% |
| 1994 | 18.8% | -6.6% |
| 1995 | 15.5% | -17.7% |
| 1996 | 14.3% | -7.9% |
| 1997 | 14.0% | -1.6% |
| 1998 | 13.5% | -4.2% |
| 1999 | 18.5% | +37.3% |
| 2000 | 17.3% | -6.4% |
| 2001 | 17.2% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 15.9% | -7.5% |
| 2003 | 17.4% | +9.4% |
| 2004 | 17.1% | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 16.1% | -5.8% |
| 2006 | 15.0% | -6.7% |
| 2007 | 15.2% | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 14.9% | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 16.2% | +8.7% |
| 2010 | 15.8% | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 16.6% | +4.9% |
| 2012 | 16.3% | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 16.2% | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 15.4% | -5.0% |
| 2015 | 15.2% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 15.8% | +3.5% |
| 2017 | 16.4% | +3.8% |
| 2018 | 15.6% | -4.5% |
| 2019 | 13.9% | -11.1% |
| 2020 | 14.7% | +5.4% |
| 2021 | 14.8% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 14.8% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 15.4% | +3.9% |
| 2024 | 17.2% | +11.7% |
| 2025 | 16.9% | -1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 11.1% | 10.5% | 11.9% | 5 |
| 1970s | 12.4% | 11.3% | 13.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 14.7% | 10.6% | 18.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.3% | 13.5% | 20.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.2% | 14.9% | 17.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.7% | 13.9% | 16.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.6% | 14.7% | 17.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
More economy & growth data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 4.36 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 0.147 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 245.62 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 7.79 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 0.8257 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 1,380 current US$ per person (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 8.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), per capita 1,655 current US$ per person (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.9901 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 3.8 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is general government final consumption expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- General government final consumption expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 16.9% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs).
- What is the highest general government final consumption expenditure recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 20.7% in 1992.
- What is the lowest general government final consumption expenditure recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.5% in 1965.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for general government final consumption expenditure?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 16th out of 43 groups with data for 2025.
- Is general government final consumption expenditure rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 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.