Government spending as share of GDP vs. GDP per capita in New Zealand
New Zealand: Government spending as share of GDP vs. GDP per capita was 41.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
41.9%
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
38th
of 151 countries
All-time high
53.0%
in 1991
All-time low
11.9%
in 1908
Years of data
149
1876–2024
Government spending as share of GDP vs. GDP per capita in New Zealand, 1876–2024
Source: International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government spending as share of gdp vs. gdp per capita in New Zealand is 41.9%, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 11.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending as share of gdp vs. gdp per capita in New Zealand peaked at 53.0% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 11.9%, in 1908.
New Zealand ranks 38th of 151 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 149 years of available data.
Government spending as share of GDP vs. GDP per capita in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1876 | 15.4% | — |
| 1877 | 14.9% | -3.2% |
| 1878 | 12.6% | -15.3% |
| 1879 | 13.1% | +3.7% |
| 1880 | 12.9% | -1.5% |
| 1881 | 13.0% | +1.2% |
| 1882 | 11.9% | -8.4% |
| 1883 | 12.3% | +3.3% |
| 1884 | 13.0% | +5.3% |
| 1885 | 13.3% | +2.6% |
| 1886 | 14.6% | +9.7% |
| 1887 | 14.8% | +1.2% |
| 1888 | 14.4% | -2.5% |
| 1889 | 14.2% | -1.5% |
| 1890 | 13.2% | -7.5% |
| 1891 | 13.6% | +3.7% |
| 1892 | 13.7% | +0.8% |
| 1893 | 13.2% | -4.0% |
| 1894 | 14.0% | +6.3% |
| 1895 | 14.3% | +1.8% |
| 1896 | 13.8% | -3.5% |
| 1897 | 13.0% | -5.8% |
| 1898 | 13.2% | +1.9% |
| 1899 | 13.6% | +3.0% |
| 1900 | 13.5% | -1.1% |
| 1901 | 13.3% | -1.8% |
| 1902 | 14.6% | +10.1% |
| 1903 | 13.9% | -4.7% |
| 1904 | 13.4% | -3.3% |
| 1905 | 13.5% | +0.4% |
| 1906 | 12.6% | -6.8% |
| 1907 | 12.1% | -4.2% |
| 1908 | 11.9% | -1.1% |
| 1909 | 13.7% | +15.3% |
| 1910 | 13.5% | -1.4% |
| 1911 | 12.3% | -9.2% |
| 1912 | 13.0% | +6.0% |
| 1913 | 13.8% | +6.1% |
| 1914 | 14.1% | +2.2% |
| 1915 | 13.1% | -6.9% |
| 1916 | 12.1% | -7.6% |
| 1917 | 12.7% | +4.5% |
| 1918 | 12.9% | +1.3% |
| 1919 | 14.6% | +13.5% |
| 1920 | 15.7% | +7.7% |
| 1921 | 16.0% | +2.0% |
| 1922 | 17.7% | +10.5% |
| 1923 | 18.7% | +5.5% |
| 1924 | 17.3% | -7.4% |
| 1925 | 17.2% | -0.7% |
| 1926 | 14.4% | -15.9% |
| 1927 | 16.3% | +13.0% |
| 1928 | 17.0% | +4.2% |
| 1929 | 15.0% | -11.9% |
| 1930 | 15.5% | +3.6% |
| 1931 | 17.0% | +9.7% |
| 1932 | 20.6% | +21.1% |
| 1933 | 19.7% | -4.4% |
| 1934 | 18.9% | -4.1% |
| 1935 | 17.9% | -5.1% |
| 1936 | 16.5% | -7.9% |
| 1937 | 15.8% | -4.3% |
| 1938 | 20.6% | +30.1% |
| 1939 | 18.4% | -10.9% |
| 1940 | 18.5% | +1.0% |
| 1941 | 18.2% | -2.0% |
| 1942 | 18.0% | -0.7% |
| 1943 | 15.1% | -16.4% |
| 1944 | 14.7% | -2.7% |
| 1945 | 15.3% | +4.7% |
| 1946 | 15.6% | +1.4% |
| 1947 | 24.2% | +55.4% |
| 1948 | 23.7% | -1.9% |
| 1949 | 24.0% | +1.2% |
| 1950 | 21.8% | -9.2% |
| 1951 | 19.2% | -11.7% |
| 1952 | 23.1% | +19.8% |
| 1953 | 22.8% | -0.9% |
| 1954 | 21.4% | -6.5% |
| 1955 | 19.6% | -8.0% |
| 1956 | 18.6% | -5.2% |
| 1957 | 19.5% | +4.9% |
| 1958 | 17.4% | -10.8% |
| 1959 | 20.7% | +18.7% |
| 1960 | 25.3% | +22.4% |
| 1961 | 21.1% | -16.5% |
| 1962 | 21.6% | +2.1% |
| 1963 | 19.4% | -10.2% |
| 1964 | 19.4% | +0.3% |
| 1965 | 24.9% | +28.3% |
| 1966 | 25.0% | +0.5% |
| 1967 | 26.0% | +3.9% |
| 1968 | 26.2% | +0.7% |
| 1969 | 25.9% | -1.3% |
| 1970 | 24.8% | -3.9% |
| 1971 | 26.8% | +7.8% |
| 1972 | 26.4% | -1.5% |
| 1973 | 27.1% | +2.8% |
| 1974 | 27.3% | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 30.1% | +10.2% |
| 1976 | 31.6% | +5.0% |
| 1977 | 30.0% | -5.1% |
| 1978 | 36.6% | +22.3% |
| 1979 | 38.4% | +4.8% |
| 1980 | 38.0% | -1.0% |
| 1981 | 39.1% | +2.8% |
| 1982 | 39.9% | +2.0% |
| 1983 | 41.4% | +3.7% |
| 1984 | 40.7% | -1.7% |
| 1985 | 46.2% | +13.5% |
| 1986 | 46.9% | +1.6% |
| 1987 | 46.1% | -1.7% |
| 1988 | 46.1% | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 47.8% | +3.7% |
| 1990 | 49.6% | +3.7% |
| 1991 | 53.0% | +6.9% |
| 1992 | 52.5% | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 46.8% | -10.9% |
| 1994 | 42.8% | -8.6% |
| 1995 | 41.6% | -2.7% |
| 1996 | 39.9% | -4.2% |
| 1997 | 39.3% | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 40.1% | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 39.3% | -2.2% |
| 2000 | 38.3% | -2.4% |
| 2001 | 37.2% | -2.8% |
| 2002 | 36.8% | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 36.7% | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 36.2% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 37.1% | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 37.9% | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 37.1% | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 38.5% | +3.8% |
| 2009 | 40.3% | +4.8% |
| 2010 | 42.9% | +6.4% |
| 2011 | 42.4% | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 39.7% | -6.3% |
| 2013 | 38.6% | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 37.7% | -2.5% |
| 2015 | 37.2% | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 36.4% | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 35.6% | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 36.1% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 38.8% | +7.5% |
| 2020 | 42.0% | +8.3% |
| 2021 | 41.9% | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 41.8% | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 41.2% | -1.4% |
| 2024 | 41.9% | +1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 14.0% | 12.6% | 15.4% | 4 |
| 1880s | 13.5% | 11.9% | 14.8% | 10 |
| 1890s | 13.6% | 13.0% | 14.3% | 10 |
| 1900s | 13.2% | 11.9% | 14.6% | 10 |
| 1910s | 13.2% | 12.1% | 14.6% | 10 |
| 1920s | 16.5% | 14.4% | 18.7% | 10 |
| 1930s | 18.1% | 15.5% | 20.6% | 10 |
| 1940s | 18.7% | 14.7% | 24.2% | 10 |
| 1950s | 20.4% | 17.4% | 23.1% | 10 |
| 1960s | 23.5% | 19.4% | 26.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 29.9% | 24.8% | 38.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 43.2% | 38.0% | 47.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 44.5% | 39.3% | 53.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 37.6% | 36.2% | 40.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.5% | 35.6% | 42.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 41.8% | 41.2% | 42.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More economy & growth data for New Zealand
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.71 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.37 Percent per annum (2029)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 5,489 constant LCU per person (2024)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 1.63 % change on previous year (2023)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 0.1944 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 9,582 current US$ per person (2023)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), annual 4.94 % change on previous year (2023)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 0.3165 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 15,604 current LCU per person (2023)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) -4.66 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending as share of gdp vs. gdp per capita in New Zealand?
- Government spending as share of gdp vs. gdp per capita in New Zealand was 41.9% in 2024, according to International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest government spending as share of gdp vs. gdp per capita recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 53.0% in 1991.
- What is the lowest government spending as share of gdp vs. gdp per capita recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.9% in 1908.
- How does New Zealand rank for government spending as share of gdp vs. gdp per capita?
- New Zealand ranks 38th out of 151 countries with data for 2024.
- Is government spending as share of gdp vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending as share of GDP vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 149 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Sum of all the money spent by the government on goods and services, as a percentage of GDP. It includes interest paid on government debt.