Government spending as share of GDP in Argentina
Argentina: Government spending as share of GDP was 31.0% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
31.0%
Change on year
down 17.6%
World rank
74th
of 151 countries
All-time high
42.5%
in 2020
All-time low
2.8%
in 1864
Years of data
161
1864–2024
Government spending as share of GDP in Argentina, 1864–2024
Source: International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2024, government spending as share of gdp in Argentina stood at 31.0%.
That represents a change of down 17.6% on the previous year and down 20.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending as share of gdp in Argentina peaked at 42.5% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.8%, in 1864.
Argentina ranks 74th of 151 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Government spending as share of GDP in Argentina, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1864 | 2.8% | — |
| 1865 | 3.5% | +23.9% |
| 1866 | 4.9% | +40.6% |
| 1867 | 5.9% | +20.0% |
| 1868 | 7.2% | +21.5% |
| 1869 | 6.7% | -6.5% |
| 1870 | 8.6% | +27.3% |
| 1871 | 9.6% | +12.1% |
| 1872 | 8.6% | -10.3% |
| 1873 | 9.2% | +6.6% |
| 1874 | 8.9% | -2.9% |
| 1875 | 10.0% | +11.8% |
| 1876 | 8.6% | -13.4% |
| 1877 | 5.6% | -35.3% |
| 1878 | 6.2% | +11.7% |
| 1879 | 7.6% | +22.0% |
| 1880 | 8.0% | +5.7% |
| 1881 | 8.7% | +8.3% |
| 1882 | 11.0% | +26.6% |
| 1883 | 10.6% | -4.2% |
| 1884 | 10.5% | -0.2% |
| 1885 | 8.6% | -18.1% |
| 1886 | 9.3% | +7.4% |
| 1887 | 7.3% | -21.6% |
| 1888 | 7.2% | -0.3% |
| 1889 | 12.6% | +74.1% |
| 1890 | 7.7% | -38.7% |
| 1891 | 10.7% | +38.4% |
| 1892 | 8.5% | -20.4% |
| 1893 | 7.4% | -12.8% |
| 1894 | 7.2% | -2.4% |
| 1895 | 7.4% | +2.1% |
| 1896 | 9.0% | +21.8% |
| 1897 | 9.3% | +2.9% |
| 1898 | 16.6% | +78.8% |
| 1899 | 8.6% | -48.3% |
| 1900 | 8.3% | -3.7% |
| 1901 | 8.0% | -3.1% |
| 1902 | 9.4% | +17.6% |
| 1903 | 7.5% | -20.2% |
| 1904 | 7.5% | +0.2% |
| 1905 | 10.2% | +35.7% |
| 1906 | 7.2% | -29.8% |
| 1907 | 7.2% | +0.8% |
| 1908 | 6.4% | -11.7% |
| 1909 | 9.4% | +47.4% |
| 1910 | 8.9% | -5.3% |
| 1911 | 9.0% | +1.3% |
| 1912 | 7.6% | -15.4% |
| 1913 | 7.5% | -2.3% |
| 1914 | 8.6% | +15.7% |
| 1915 | 7.4% | -14.2% |
| 1916 | 6.7% | -10.3% |
| 1917 | 6.3% | -6.0% |
| 1918 | 4.8% | -22.9% |
| 1919 | 4.8% | -0.2% |
| 1920 | 4.6% | -4.2% |
| 1921 | 6.1% | +32.8% |
| 1922 | 7.1% | +15.9% |
| 1923 | 6.5% | -8.0% |
| 1924 | 6.2% | -5.9% |
| 1925 | 6.6% | +7.4% |
| 1926 | 7.0% | +6.4% |
| 1927 | 9.4% | +33.4% |
| 1928 | 7.8% | -17.3% |
| 1929 | 8.0% | +3.2% |
| 1930 | 9.4% | +17.3% |
| 1931 | 9.9% | +5.5% |
| 1932 | 9.4% | -5.5% |
| 1933 | 8.9% | -5.3% |
| 1934 | 8.6% | -3.3% |
| 1935 | 8.5% | -1.4% |
| 1936 | 8.5% | +0.8% |
| 1937 | 8.6% | +0.9% |
| 1938 | 9.3% | +7.7% |
| 1939 | 10.0% | +8.2% |
| 1940 | 8.8% | -12.3% |
| 1941 | 8.5% | -3.5% |
| 1942 | 8.4% | -1.4% |
| 1943 | 9.2% | +9.6% |
| 1944 | 11.0% | +19.8% |
| 1945 | 11.4% | +3.6% |
| 1946 | 9.9% | -13.2% |
| 1947 | 9.3% | -5.8% |
| 1948 | 12.9% | +38.4% |
| 1949 | 11.8% | -8.4% |
| 1950 | 11.2% | -5.2% |
| 1951 | 12.0% | +7.0% |
| 1952 | 11.9% | -0.7% |
| 1953 | 11.0% | -7.2% |
| 1954 | 11.0% | -0.6% |
| 1955 | 10.2% | -6.9% |
| 1956 | 10.1% | -1.5% |
| 1957 | 8.4% | -16.3% |
| 1958 | 13.2% | +56.8% |
| 1959 | 13.6% | +3.2% |
| 1960 | 11.3% | -17.0% |
| 1961 | 12.3% | +8.4% |
| 1962 | 11.3% | -7.4% |
| 1963 | 11.2% | -1.4% |
| 1964 | 11.8% | +5.3% |
| 1965 | 11.6% | -1.4% |
| 1966 | 12.1% | +4.4% |
| 1967 | 13.0% | +6.9% |
| 1968 | 12.8% | -1.2% |
| 1969 | 12.3% | -4.2% |
| 1970 | 12.0% | -1.8% |
| 1971 | 11.7% | -2.7% |
| 1972 | 11.2% | -4.8% |
| 1973 | 12.6% | +12.8% |
| 1974 | 14.0% | +11.6% |
| 1975 | 12.5% | -10.9% |
| 1976 | 13.0% | +4.1% |
| 1977 | 12.6% | -3.3% |
| 1978 | 14.9% | +17.9% |
| 1979 | 14.5% | -2.4% |
| 1980 | 15.2% | +4.6% |
| 1981 | 17.0% | +12.2% |
| 1982 | 15.9% | -6.8% |
| 1983 | 14.2% | -10.6% |
| 1984 | 13.0% | -8.1% |
| 1985 | 14.7% | +13.1% |
| 1986 | 13.7% | -7.2% |
| 1987 | 13.7% | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 12.3% | -10.1% |
| 1989 | 11.0% | -10.7% |
| 1990 | 11.0% | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 11.4% | +4.0% |
| 1992 | 12.1% | +5.8% |
| 1993 | 13.3% | +10.0% |
| 1994 | 14.2% | +6.5% |
| 1995 | 14.4% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 14.1% | -2.0% |
| 1997 | 22.6% | +60.1% |
| 1998 | 23.1% | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 25.5% | +10.1% |
| 2000 | 25.2% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 26.4% | +4.7% |
| 2002 | 21.9% | -17.3% |
| 2003 | 22.0% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 23.0% | +4.6% |
| 2005 | 24.4% | +6.1% |
| 2006 | 26.6% | +9.0% |
| 2007 | 29.6% | +11.0% |
| 2008 | 30.8% | +4.1% |
| 2009 | 34.5% | +12.2% |
| 2010 | 33.4% | -3.4% |
| 2011 | 34.9% | +4.6% |
| 2012 | 36.8% | +5.5% |
| 2013 | 37.6% | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 38.9% | +3.3% |
| 2015 | 41.4% | +6.5% |
| 2016 | 41.5% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 41.1% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 38.9% | -5.3% |
| 2019 | 38.1% | -2.1% |
| 2020 | 42.5% | +11.4% |
| 2021 | 37.9% | -10.8% |
| 2022 | 37.6% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 37.6% | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 31.0% | -17.6% |
Argentina compared with similar countries
- Argentina's 31.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 30.9%, 1.0× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Argentina's 31.0% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 27.1%, 1.1× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Government spending as share of GDP in Argentina changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1898 | +78.8% | 9.3% | 16.6% |
| 1889 | +74.1% | 7.2% | 12.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1860s | 5.2% | 2.8% | 7.2% | 6 |
| 1870s | 8.3% | 5.6% | 10.0% | 10 |
| 1880s | 9.4% | 7.2% | 12.6% | 10 |
| 1890s | 9.2% | 7.2% | 16.6% | 10 |
| 1900s | 8.1% | 6.4% | 10.2% | 10 |
| 1910s | 7.2% | 4.8% | 9.0% | 10 |
| 1920s | 6.9% | 4.6% | 9.4% | 10 |
| 1930s | 9.1% | 8.5% | 10.0% | 10 |
| 1940s | 10.1% | 8.4% | 12.9% | 10 |
| 1950s | 11.3% | 8.4% | 13.6% | 10 |
| 1960s | 12.0% | 11.2% | 13.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 12.9% | 11.2% | 14.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 14.1% | 11.0% | 17.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.2% | 11.0% | 25.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.4% | 21.9% | 34.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.3% | 33.4% | 41.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.3% | 31.0% | 42.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Argentina
More economy & growth data for Argentina
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.73 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.3 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 2.83 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0041 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 61.81 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 3.13 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -73.08 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0046 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 68.36 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 38.7 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending as share of gdp in Argentina?
- Government spending as share of gdp in Argentina was 31.0% 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 recorded in Argentina?
- The highest recorded value was 42.5% in 2020.
- What is the lowest government spending as share of gdp recorded in Argentina?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.8% in 1864.
- How does Argentina rank for government spending as share of gdp?
- Argentina ranks 74th out of 151 countries with data for 2024.
- Is government spending as share of gdp rising or falling in Argentina?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Argentina 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. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 161 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.