Government spending as share of GDP in Benin

Benin: Government spending as share of GDP was 18.1% in 2024. ▬ Flat

Latest (2024)
18.1%
Change on year
down 5.8%
World rank
136th
of 151 countries
All-time high
20.2%
in 1995
All-time low
10.7%
in 1999
Years of data
36
1989–2024

Government spending as share of GDP in Benin, 1989–2024

051015201989200620241989: 17.1 % of GDP1990: 18.1 % of GDP1991: 17.2 % of GDP1992: 18.4 % of GDP1993: 16.4 % of GDP1994: 18.5 % of GDP1995: 20.2 % of GDP1996: 18.2 % of GDP1997: 17.3 % of GDP1998: 14.9 % of GDP1999: 10.7 % of GDP2000: 15.6 % of GDP2001: 15.4 % of GDP2002: 15.3 % of GDP2003: 13.7 % of GDP2004: 13.4 % of GDP2005: 14.1 % of GDP2006: 13 % of GDP2007: 15.8 % of GDP2008: 14.5 % of GDP2009: 17 % of GDP2010: 14.1 % of GDP2011: 14.7 % of GDP2012: 14.2 % of GDP2013: 14.9 % of GDP2014: 14.2 % of GDP2015: 18.2 % of GDP2016: 15.4 % of GDP2017: 17.7 % of GDP2018: 16.5 % of GDP2019: 14.3 % of GDP2020: 19.1 % of GDP2021: 19.9 % of GDP2022: 19.9 % of GDP2023: 19.2 % of GDP2024: 18.1 % of GDP

Source: International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

Benin recorded 18.1% for government spending as share of gdp in 2024.

The figure is down 5.8% on the previous year and up 26.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government spending as share of gdp in Benin peaked at 20.2% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 10.7%, in 1999.

Benin ranks 136th of 151 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 17.1% 17.1% 17.1% 1
1990s 17.0% 10.7% 20.2% 10
2000s 14.8% 13.0% 17.0% 10
2010s 15.4% 14.1% 18.2% 10
2020s 19.2% 18.1% 19.9% 5

Countries ranked near Benin

  1. 133 Uganda 18.7% compare
  2. 134 Equatorial Guinea 18.5% compare
  3. 135 Angola 18.4% compare
  4. 137 Venezuela 17.6% compare
  5. 138 Cambodia 17.3% compare
  6. 139 Indonesia 16.8% compare

See the full ranking of 151 places →

More economy & growth data for Benin

All data for Benin →

Frequently asked questions

What is government spending as share of gdp in Benin?
Government spending as share of gdp in Benin was 18.1% 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 Benin?
The highest recorded value was 20.2% in 1995.
What is the lowest government spending as share of gdp recorded in Benin?
The lowest recorded value was 10.7% in 1999.
How does Benin rank for government spending as share of gdp?
Benin ranks 136th out of 151 countries with data for 2024.
Is government spending as share of gdp rising or falling in Benin?
Over the last ten years it is up 26.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Benin 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 — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Government spending as share of GDP
Unit
% of GDP
Source
International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
151 places, 9,265 data points, 1800–2024
Last refreshed

The 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.