Government spending as share of GDP in Austria
Austria: Government spending as share of GDP was 56.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
56.0%
Change on year
up 6.3%
World rank
8th
of 151 countries
All-time high
57.3%
in 2020
All-time low
11.4%
in 1880
Years of data
124
1880–2024
Government spending as share of GDP in Austria, 1880–2024
Source: International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Austria recorded 56.0% for government spending as share of gdp in 2024.
The figure is up 6.3% on the previous year and up 6.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending as share of gdp in Austria peaked at 57.3% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 11.4%, in 1880.
Austria ranks 8th of 151 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 124 years of available data.
Government spending as share of GDP in Austria, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 11.4% | — |
| 1881 | 14.2% | +25.2% |
| 1882 | 11.7% | -18.0% |
| 1883 | 11.8% | +0.9% |
| 1884 | 17.5% | +48.9% |
| 1885 | 12.6% | -28.3% |
| 1886 | 12.7% | +0.8% |
| 1887 | 12.8% | +1.1% |
| 1888 | 12.7% | -0.6% |
| 1889 | 14.3% | +12.4% |
| 1890 | 13.4% | -6.1% |
| 1891 | 17.2% | +28.0% |
| 1892 | 15.0% | -12.8% |
| 1893 | 16.1% | +7.6% |
| 1894 | 15.9% | -1.5% |
| 1895 | 14.2% | -10.8% |
| 1896 | 15.2% | +7.3% |
| 1897 | 16.5% | +8.3% |
| 1898 | 15.8% | -3.8% |
| 1899 | 15.0% | -5.6% |
| 1900 | 15.6% | +4.2% |
| 1901 | 16.3% | +4.3% |
| 1902 | 16.1% | -0.7% |
| 1903 | 16.1% | -0.1% |
| 1904 | 17.1% | +5.9% |
| 1905 | 15.0% | -11.8% |
| 1906 | 14.3% | -4.7% |
| 1907 | 17.9% | +25.2% |
| 1908 | 16.9% | -5.8% |
| 1909 | 22.2% | +31.5% |
| 1910 | 17.3% | -22.0% |
| 1911 | 17.1% | -1.4% |
| 1912 | 17.3% | +1.3% |
| 1924 | 14.7% | -15.0% |
| 1925 | 13.7% | -6.7% |
| 1926 | 15.6% | +13.6% |
| 1927 | 16.5% | +6.0% |
| 1928 | 16.9% | +2.5% |
| 1929 | 16.5% | -2.8% |
| 1930 | 19.8% | +20.3% |
| 1931 | 22.5% | +13.6% |
| 1932 | 20.1% | -10.5% |
| 1933 | 14.3% | -29.0% |
| 1934 | 16.6% | +16.3% |
| 1935 | 17.2% | +3.5% |
| 1936 | 15.6% | -9.7% |
| 1937 | 14.4% | -7.5% |
| 1948 | 32.7% | +127.6% |
| 1949 | 33.8% | +3.3% |
| 1950 | 36.4% | +7.5% |
| 1951 | 26.3% | -27.7% |
| 1952 | 22.1% | -16.0% |
| 1953 | 26.3% | +19.3% |
| 1954 | 24.6% | -6.5% |
| 1955 | 24.2% | -1.6% |
| 1956 | 24.2% | +0.1% |
| 1957 | 25.8% | +6.5% |
| 1958 | 28.4% | +9.9% |
| 1959 | 27.3% | -3.6% |
| 1960 | 36.3% | +32.7% |
| 1961 | 35.7% | -1.6% |
| 1962 | 37.6% | +5.2% |
| 1963 | 38.6% | +2.9% |
| 1964 | 38.7% | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 38.3% | -0.8% |
| 1966 | 38.7% | +1.0% |
| 1967 | 40.7% | +5.1% |
| 1968 | 40.9% | +0.4% |
| 1969 | 40.7% | -0.5% |
| 1970 | 39.5% | -2.8% |
| 1971 | 40.0% | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 40.1% | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 41.5% | +3.6% |
| 1974 | 42.0% | +1.3% |
| 1975 | 46.1% | +9.7% |
| 1976 | 47.9% | +4.0% |
| 1977 | 47.6% | -0.6% |
| 1978 | 50.8% | +6.6% |
| 1979 | 49.8% | -2.0% |
| 1980 | 50.0% | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 51.5% | +3.0% |
| 1982 | 52.0% | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 52.4% | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 52.6% | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 53.5% | +1.8% |
| 1986 | 54.3% | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 54.5% | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 53.1% | -2.6% |
| 1989 | 51.6% | -2.8% |
| 1990 | 51.5% | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 52.6% | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 53.4% | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 56.4% | +5.7% |
| 1994 | 56.1% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 56.3% | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 55.9% | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 53.5% | -4.3% |
| 1998 | 53.7% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 53.4% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 51.9% | -2.8% |
| 2001 | 51.3% | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 50.7% | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 51.3% | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 53.8% | +4.7% |
| 2005 | 50.0% | -7.0% |
| 2006 | 49.1% | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 48.6% | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 49.3% | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 52.9% | +7.2% |
| 2010 | 52.5% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 51.3% | -2.3% |
| 2012 | 51.8% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 52.4% | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 52.4% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 51.2% | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 50.6% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 49.8% | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 49.2% | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 49.1% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 57.3% | +16.8% |
| 2021 | 56.0% | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 53.0% | -5.4% |
| 2023 | 52.7% | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 56.0% | +6.3% |
Austria compared with similar countries
- Austria's 56.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 42.3%, 1.3× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Austria's 56.0% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 44.4%, 1.3× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Government spending as share of GDP in Austria 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | +127.6% | 14.4% | 32.7% |
| 1884 | +48.9% | 11.8% | 17.5% |
| 1960 | +32.7% | 27.3% | 36.3% |
| 1909 | +31.5% | 16.9% | 22.2% |
| 1933 | -29.0% | 20.1% | 14.3% |
| 1885 | -28.3% | 17.5% | 12.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 13.2% | 11.4% | 17.5% | 10 |
| 1890s | 15.4% | 13.4% | 17.2% | 10 |
| 1900s | 16.8% | 14.3% | 22.2% | 10 |
| 1910s | 17.2% | 17.1% | 17.3% | 3 |
| 1920s | 15.6% | 13.7% | 16.9% | 6 |
| 1930s | 17.6% | 14.3% | 22.5% | 8 |
| 1940s | 33.3% | 32.7% | 33.8% | 2 |
| 1950s | 26.6% | 22.1% | 36.4% | 10 |
| 1960s | 38.6% | 35.7% | 40.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 44.5% | 39.5% | 50.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 52.6% | 50.0% | 54.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 54.3% | 51.5% | 56.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 50.9% | 48.6% | 53.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.0% | 49.1% | 52.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 55.0% | 52.7% | 57.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Austria
More economy & growth data for Austria
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.801 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 0.9157 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps -6.07 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0105 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -658.85 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled -11.68 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -185.54 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0202 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -1,269 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 50.93 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending as share of gdp in Austria?
- Government spending as share of gdp in Austria was 56.0% 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 Austria?
- The highest recorded value was 57.3% in 2020.
- What is the lowest government spending as share of gdp recorded in Austria?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.4% in 1880.
- How does Austria rank for government spending as share of gdp?
- Austria ranks 8th out of 151 countries with data for 2024.
- Is government spending as share of gdp rising or falling in Austria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Austria 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 — 124 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.