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

Sweden: Government spending by function as share of gdp across countries was 18.89 in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
18.89
Change on year
down 0.6%
World rank
9th
of 37 countries
All-time high
22.06
in 2009
All-time low
18.89
in 2023
Years of data
17
2007–2023

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

051015202007201520232007: 20.62008: 20.62009: 22.12010: 212011: 20.32012: 21.12013: 21.72014: 21.32015: 20.92016: 21.22017: 20.82018: 20.42019: 19.72020: 20.42021: 19.42022: 192023: 18.9

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

Sweden recorded 18.89 for government spending by function as share of gdp across countries in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 17 years on record.

The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 12.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government spending by function as share of gdp across countries in Sweden peaked at 22.06 in 2009 and was at its lowest, 18.89, in 2023.

That places Sweden 9th out of 37 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

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

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

Annual values for Government spending by function as share of gdp across countries in Sweden, 2007 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2007 20.6
2008 20.58 -0.1%
2009 22.06 +7.2%
2010 21 -4.8%
2011 20.3 -3.3%
2012 21.07 +3.8%
2013 21.66 +2.8%
2014 21.3 -1.7%
2015 20.86 -2.1%
2016 21.22 +1.7%
2017 20.78 -2.1%
2018 20.39 -1.9%
2019 19.66 -3.6%
2020 20.37 +3.6%
2021 19.39 -4.8%
2022 19.01 -1.9%
2023 18.89 -0.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 21.08 20.58 22.06 3
2010s 20.83 19.66 21.66 10
2020s 19.42 18.89 20.37 4

Countries ranked near Sweden

  1. 6 Belgium 19.85 compare
  2. 7 Denmark 19.64 compare
  3. 8 Germany 19.49 compare
  4. 10 Greece 18.54 compare
  5. 11 Norway 18.53 compare
  6. 12 Spain 18.5 compare

See the full ranking of 37 places →

More economy & growth data for Sweden

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is government spending by function as share of gdp across countries in Sweden?
Government spending by function as share of gdp across countries in Sweden was 18.89 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest government spending by function as share of gdp across countries recorded in Sweden?
The highest recorded value was 22.06 in 2009.
What is the lowest government spending by function as share of gdp across countries recorded in Sweden?
The lowest recorded value was 18.89 in 2023.
How does Sweden rank for government spending by function as share of gdp across countries?
Sweden ranks 9th out of 37 countries with data for 2023.
Is government spending by function as share of gdp across countries rising or falling in Sweden?
Over the last ten years it is down 12.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Sweden 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 Sweden. 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/sweden/

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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