Government spending as share of GDP in Brazil
Brazil: Government spending as share of GDP was 45.7% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
45.7%
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
26th
of 151 countries
All-time high
46.2%
in 2015
All-time low
6.8%
in 1980
Years of data
136
1880–2024
Government spending as share of GDP in Brazil, 1880–2024
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 in Brazil is 45.7%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 10.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending as share of gdp in Brazil peaked at 46.2% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 6.8%, in 1980.
Brazil ranks 26th of 151 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Government spending as share of GDP in Brazil, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 24.2% | — |
| 1881 | 24.0% | -0.9% |
| 1882 | 24.4% | +1.8% |
| 1883 | 22.2% | -9.1% |
| 1884 | 28.5% | +28.6% |
| 1885 | 25.1% | -12.1% |
| 1886 | 21.7% | -13.5% |
| 1887 | 22.9% | +5.5% |
| 1888 | 23.0% | +0.4% |
| 1889 | 28.2% | +22.7% |
| 1890 | 25.7% | -8.8% |
| 1891 | 14.1% | -45.2% |
| 1892 | 14.2% | +1.1% |
| 1893 | 13.0% | -8.5% |
| 1894 | 14.2% | +8.8% |
| 1895 | 12.4% | -12.8% |
| 1896 | 12.7% | +2.5% |
| 1897 | 11.9% | -6.3% |
| 1898 | 23.9% | +101.3% |
| 1899 | 12.4% | -48.2% |
| 1900 | 15.5% | +25.2% |
| 1901 | 13.8% | -11.3% |
| 1902 | 10.3% | -25.3% |
| 1903 | 12.5% | +21.8% |
| 1904 | 14.5% | +15.6% |
| 1905 | 13.9% | -4.0% |
| 1906 | 13.2% | -4.8% |
| 1907 | 14.1% | +6.7% |
| 1908 | 13.8% | -2.1% |
| 1909 | 12.3% | -10.7% |
| 1910 | 13.0% | +5.4% |
| 1911 | 12.4% | -4.6% |
| 1912 | 13.8% | +11.6% |
| 1913 | 13.4% | -3.3% |
| 1914 | 16.3% | +21.9% |
| 1915 | 15.3% | -6.2% |
| 1916 | 14.3% | -6.5% |
| 1917 | 14.6% | +1.8% |
| 1918 | 15.8% | +8.2% |
| 1919 | 11.2% | -28.8% |
| 1920 | 12.5% | +11.5% |
| 1921 | 11.9% | -5.0% |
| 1922 | 11.9% | +0.1% |
| 1923 | 9.8% | -17.6% |
| 1924 | 7.3% | -25.9% |
| 1925 | 8.0% | +9.9% |
| 1926 | 7.9% | -0.7% |
| 1927 | 8.0% | +1.3% |
| 1928 | 7.2% | -10.3% |
| 1929 | 8.9% | +23.5% |
| 1930 | 11.2% | +25.9% |
| 1931 | 11.3% | +0.9% |
| 1932 | 15.9% | +40.6% |
| 1933 | 12.6% | -20.8% |
| 1934 | 12.2% | -3.1% |
| 1935 | 9.6% | -21.5% |
| 1936 | 8.7% | -8.9% |
| 1937 | 9.9% | +13.2% |
| 1938 | 9.2% | -6.7% |
| 1939 | 9.6% | +4.6% |
| 1940 | 10.8% | +12.2% |
| 1941 | 10.7% | -1.3% |
| 1942 | 10.9% | +2.5% |
| 1943 | 9.7% | -11.1% |
| 1944 | 11.8% | +21.6% |
| 1945 | 11.5% | -2.8% |
| 1946 | 9.6% | -16.4% |
| 1947 | 7.2% | -25.0% |
| 1948 | 8.0% | +11.8% |
| 1949 | 9.0% | +12.0% |
| 1950 | 8.7% | -3.4% |
| 1951 | 7.6% | -12.4% |
| 1952 | 8.0% | +5.6% |
| 1953 | 8.3% | +3.7% |
| 1954 | 8.9% | +6.1% |
| 1955 | 7.6% | -13.8% |
| 1956 | 7.5% | -1.6% |
| 1957 | 8.2% | +9.1% |
| 1958 | 8.5% | +4.1% |
| 1959 | 7.9% | -7.1% |
| 1960 | 13.7% | +72.9% |
| 1961 | 12.0% | -12.4% |
| 1962 | 23.1% | +92.1% |
| 1963 | 22.8% | -1.2% |
| 1964 | 25.4% | +11.5% |
| 1965 | 14.0% | -44.9% |
| 1966 | 14.6% | +4.3% |
| 1967 | 13.5% | -7.5% |
| 1968 | 14.4% | +6.7% |
| 1969 | 11.2% | -22.2% |
| 1970 | 11.4% | +1.8% |
| 1971 | 11.7% | +2.6% |
| 1972 | 12.6% | +7.7% |
| 1973 | 11.0% | -12.7% |
| 1974 | 10.5% | -4.5% |
| 1975 | 10.7% | +1.9% |
| 1976 | 10.6% | -0.9% |
| 1977 | 10.4% | -1.9% |
| 1978 | 10.2% | -1.9% |
| 1979 | 9.0% | -11.8% |
| 1980 | 6.8% | -24.4% |
| 1981 | 7.8% | +14.7% |
| 1982 | 8.1% | +3.8% |
| 1983 | 9.7% | +19.8% |
| 1984 | 10.0% | +3.1% |
| 1985 | 11.1% | +11.0% |
| 1986 | 11.7% | +5.4% |
| 1996 | 38.2% | +226.9% |
| 1997 | 38.6% | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 40.9% | +6.0% |
| 1999 | 39.6% | -3.2% |
| 2000 | 34.5% | -12.9% |
| 2001 | 39.8% | +15.4% |
| 2002 | 44.5% | +11.8% |
| 2003 | 41.3% | -7.2% |
| 2004 | 39.7% | -3.9% |
| 2005 | 41.9% | +5.5% |
| 2006 | 42.6% | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 40.4% | -5.2% |
| 2008 | 39.9% | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 40.5% | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 39.5% | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 39.4% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 39.3% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 39.8% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 41.4% | +4.1% |
| 2015 | 46.2% | +11.5% |
| 2016 | 45.5% | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 44.3% | -2.6% |
| 2018 | 44.2% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 43.0% | -2.6% |
| 2020 | 46.2% | +7.3% |
| 2021 | 40.4% | -12.6% |
| 2022 | 43.4% | +7.6% |
| 2023 | 45.3% | +4.3% |
| 2024 | 45.7% | +0.8% |
Brazil compared with similar countries
- Brazil's 45.7% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 30.9%, 1.5× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Brazil's 45.7% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 27.1%, 1.7× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Government spending as share of GDP in Brazil 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | +226.9% | 11.7% | 38.2% |
| 1898 | +101.3% | 11.9% | 23.9% |
| 1962 | +92.1% | 12.0% | 23.1% |
| 1960 | +72.9% | 7.9% | 13.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 24.4% | 21.7% | 28.5% | 10 |
| 1890s | 15.4% | 11.9% | 25.7% | 10 |
| 1900s | 13.4% | 10.3% | 15.5% | 10 |
| 1910s | 14.0% | 11.2% | 16.3% | 10 |
| 1920s | 9.3% | 7.2% | 12.5% | 10 |
| 1930s | 11.0% | 8.7% | 15.9% | 10 |
| 1940s | 9.9% | 7.2% | 11.8% | 10 |
| 1950s | 8.1% | 7.5% | 8.9% | 10 |
| 1960s | 16.5% | 11.2% | 25.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 10.8% | 9.0% | 12.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.3% | 6.8% | 11.7% | 7 |
| 1990s | 39.3% | 38.2% | 40.9% | 4 |
| 2000s | 40.5% | 34.5% | 44.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 42.3% | 39.3% | 46.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.2% | 40.4% | 46.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Brazil
More economy & growth data for Brazil
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.56 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 30.18 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0132 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 141.79 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 77.68 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 4.84 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0341 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 365 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 8.73 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending as share of gdp in Brazil?
- Government spending as share of gdp in Brazil was 45.7% 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 Brazil?
- The highest recorded value was 46.2% in 2015.
- What is the lowest government spending as share of gdp recorded in Brazil?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.8% in 1980.
- How does Brazil rank for government spending as share of gdp?
- Brazil ranks 26th out of 151 countries with data for 2024.
- Is government spending as share of gdp rising or falling in Brazil?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Brazil 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 — 136 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.