Government spending by function as share of gdp across countries in South Korea

South Korea: Government spending by function as share of gdp across countries was 9.31 in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
9.31
Change on year
up 3.3%
World rank
33rd
of 37 countries
All-time high
9.31
in 2023
All-time low
4.48
in 2007
Years of data
17
2007–2023

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

02468102007201520232007: 4.52008: 4.92009: 5.22010: 5.12011: 5.42012: 5.82013: 5.92014: 6.32015: 6.42016: 6.42017: 6.42018: 6.62019: 7.22020: 8.82021: 8.52022: 92023: 9.3

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2023, government spending by function as share of gdp across countries in South Korea stood at 9.31. That is the highest value across all 17 years on record.

The figure is up 3.3% on the previous year and up 57.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government spending by function as share of gdp across countries in South Korea peaked at 9.31 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 4.48, in 2007.

That places South Korea 33rd 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 South Korea, year by year

Annual values for Government spending by function as share of gdp across countries in South Korea, 2007 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2007 4.48
2008 4.9 +9.5%
2009 5.21 +6.2%
2010 5.06 -2.8%
2011 5.4 +6.8%
2012 5.81 +7.6%
2013 5.93 +2.1%
2014 6.25 +5.5%
2015 6.39 +2.2%
2016 6.44 +0.8%
2017 6.43 -0.1%
2018 6.57 +2.1%
2019 7.23 +10.1%
2020 8.79 +21.6%
2021 8.54 -2.9%
2022 9.02 +5.6%
2023 9.31 +3.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 4.86 4.48 5.21 3
2010s 6.15 5.06 7.23 10
2020s 8.92 8.54 9.31 4

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 30 Israel 11.26 compare
  2. 31 Iceland 10.72 compare
  3. 32 Australia 10.6 compare
  4. 34 Chile 8.57 compare
  5. 35 Costa Rica 8.15 compare
  6. 36 United States 7.86 compare

See the full ranking of 37 places →

More economy & growth data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is government spending by function as share of gdp across countries in South Korea?
Government spending by function as share of gdp across countries in South Korea was 9.31 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest government spending by function as share of gdp across countries recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 9.31 in 2023.
What is the lowest government spending by function as share of gdp across countries recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 4.48 in 2007.
How does South Korea rank for government spending by function as share of gdp across countries?
South Korea ranks 33rd out of 37 countries with data for 2023.
Is government spending by function as share of gdp across countries rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 57.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Korea 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 South Korea. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/government-spending-by-function-as-share-of-gdp-across-countries/korea-rep/

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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