Government spending as share of GDP vs. GDP per capita in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago: Government spending as share of GDP vs. GDP per capita was 32.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Government spending as share of GDP vs. GDP per capita in Trinidad and Tobago, 1988–2024
Source: International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Trinidad and Tobago recorded 32.5% for government spending as share of gdp vs. gdp per capita in 2024.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending as share of gdp vs. gdp per capita in Trinidad and Tobago peaked at 45.3% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 23.3%, in 2004.
That places Trinidad and Tobago 70th out of 151 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
Government spending as share of GDP vs. GDP per capita in Trinidad and Tobago, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 45.3% | — |
| 1989 | 30.9% | -31.9% |
| 1990 | 27.9% | -9.7% |
| 1991 | 30.0% | +7.6% |
| 1992 | 28.8% | -4.0% |
| 1993 | 27.3% | -5.2% |
| 1994 | 26.5% | -2.9% |
| 1995 | 26.7% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 28.2% | +5.3% |
| 1997 | 27.4% | -2.7% |
| 1998 | 27.3% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 24.8% | -8.9% |
| 2000 | 24.1% | -3.0% |
| 2001 | 25.2% | +4.7% |
| 2002 | 24.6% | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 23.5% | -4.5% |
| 2004 | 23.3% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 27.9% | +19.6% |
| 2006 | 32.7% | +17.1% |
| 2007 | 26.8% | -18.0% |
| 2008 | 28.2% | +5.3% |
| 2009 | 33.4% | +18.4% |
| 2010 | 31.5% | -5.6% |
| 2011 | 30.4% | -3.6% |
| 2012 | 29.9% | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 31.7% | +6.2% |
| 2014 | 33.0% | +3.9% |
| 2015 | 34.1% | +3.5% |
| 2016 | 31.2% | -8.5% |
| 2017 | 30.9% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 30.2% | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 31.0% | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 35.1% | +13.2% |
| 2021 | 31.4% | -10.6% |
| 2022 | 28.3% | -10.0% |
| 2023 | 32.4% | +14.7% |
| 2024 | 32.5% | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 38.1% | 30.9% | 45.3% | 2 |
| 1990s | 27.5% | 24.8% | 30.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 27.0% | 23.3% | 33.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.4% | 29.9% | 34.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.9% | 28.3% | 35.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Trinidad and Tobago
More economy & growth data for Trinidad and Tobago
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.73 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.79 Percent per annum (2029)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), annual -4.75 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 0.0525 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 983.34 current LCU per person (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) -5.39 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.0047 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 87.84 constant 2015 US$ per person (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant LCU) -5.39 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant LCU), per 0.0265 constant LCU per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending as share of gdp vs. gdp per capita in Trinidad and Tobago?
- Government spending as share of gdp vs. gdp per capita in Trinidad and Tobago was 32.5% 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 Trinidad and Tobago?
- The highest recorded value was 45.3% in 1988.
- What is the lowest government spending as share of gdp vs. gdp per capita recorded in Trinidad and Tobago?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.3% in 2004.
- How does Trinidad and Tobago rank for government spending as share of gdp vs. gdp per capita?
- Trinidad and Tobago ranks 70th out of 151 countries with data for 2024.
- Is government spending as share of gdp vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Trinidad and Tobago?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Trinidad and Tobago 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.
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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.