Government spending by function as share of gdp across countries in Australia

Australia: Government spending by function as share of gdp across countries was 10.6 in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
10.6
Change on year
up 9.1%
World rank
32nd
of 37 countries
All-time high
11.73
in 2020
All-time low
9.48
in 2007
Years of data
17
2007–2023

Government spending by function as share of gdp across countries in Australia, 2007–2023

02.557.51012.52007201520232007: 9.52008: 11.22009: 9.92010: 9.62011: 9.82012: 9.92013: 10.12014: 10.42015: 10.52016: 102017: 9.82018: 9.82019: 112020: 11.72021: 10.62022: 9.72023: 10.6

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for government spending by function as share of gdp across countries in Australia is 10.6, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.1% on the previous year and up 5.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government spending by function as share of gdp across countries in Australia peaked at 11.73 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 9.48, in 2007.

That places Australia 32nd out of 37 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

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

Government spending by function as share of gdp across countries in Australia, year by year

Annual values for Government spending by function as share of gdp across countries in Australia, 2007 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2007 9.48
2008 11.2 +18.1%
2009 9.87 -11.9%
2010 9.58 -3.0%
2011 9.76 +1.9%
2012 9.88 +1.2%
2013 10.07 +2.0%
2014 10.44 +3.6%
2015 10.51 +0.7%
2016 10.03 -4.6%
2017 9.78 -2.5%
2018 9.75 -0.3%
2019 10.98 +12.6%
2020 11.73 +6.8%
2021 10.63 -9.4%
2022 9.71 -8.6%
2023 10.6 +9.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 10.18 9.48 11.2 3
2010s 10.08 9.58 10.98 10
2020s 10.67 9.71 11.73 4

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 29 Colombia 12.08 compare
  2. 30 Israel 11.26 compare
  3. 31 Iceland 10.72 compare
  4. 33 South Korea 9.31 compare
  5. 34 Chile 8.57 compare
  6. 35 Costa Rica 8.15 compare

See the full ranking of 37 places →

More economy & growth data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is government spending by function as share of gdp across countries in Australia?
Government spending by function as share of gdp across countries in Australia was 10.6 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest government spending by function as share of gdp across countries recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 11.73 in 2020.
What is the lowest government spending by function as share of gdp across countries recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 9.48 in 2007.
How does Australia rank for government spending by function as share of gdp across countries?
Australia ranks 32nd out of 37 countries with data for 2023.
Is government spending by function as share of gdp across countries rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending by function as share of gdp across countries. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Government spending by function as share of gdp across countries in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/government-spending-by-function-as-share-of-gdp-across-countries/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Government spending by function as share of gdp across countries
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
37 places, 618 data points, 2007–2024
Last refreshed