Government spending as share of GDP in Denmark
Denmark: Government spending as share of GDP was 47.3% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
47.3%
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
19th
of 151 countries
All-time high
60.2%
in 1993
All-time low
4.4%
in 1914
Years of data
145
1880–2024
Government spending as share of GDP in Denmark, 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 Denmark is 47.3%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 14.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending as share of gdp in Denmark peaked at 60.2% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 4.4%, in 1914.
Denmark ranks 19th 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 Denmark, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 8.8% | — |
| 1881 | 5.9% | -32.6% |
| 1882 | 6.0% | +0.3% |
| 1883 | 5.8% | -3.0% |
| 1884 | 5.6% | -3.1% |
| 1885 | 6.1% | +8.8% |
| 1886 | 7.1% | +16.3% |
| 1887 | 7.2% | +2.1% |
| 1888 | 7.1% | -1.3% |
| 1889 | 7.0% | -2.3% |
| 1890 | 6.9% | -1.6% |
| 1891 | 6.4% | -6.3% |
| 1892 | 6.3% | -2.3% |
| 1893 | 6.2% | -1.1% |
| 1894 | 6.2% | -0.3% |
| 1895 | 6.3% | +1.3% |
| 1896 | 6.2% | -1.0% |
| 1897 | 6.9% | +11.1% |
| 1898 | 6.6% | -4.7% |
| 1899 | 6.4% | -3.3% |
| 1900 | 6.0% | -6.4% |
| 1901 | 5.6% | -6.2% |
| 1902 | 5.6% | -0.7% |
| 1903 | 5.4% | -2.4% |
| 1904 | 6.7% | +23.7% |
| 1905 | 5.4% | -18.8% |
| 1906 | 7.0% | +28.5% |
| 1907 | 5.4% | -22.6% |
| 1908 | 6.1% | +12.6% |
| 1909 | 7.0% | +14.5% |
| 1910 | 6.5% | -7.5% |
| 1911 | 6.0% | -7.6% |
| 1912 | 5.6% | -6.2% |
| 1913 | 5.4% | -4.0% |
| 1914 | 4.4% | -18.3% |
| 1915 | 5.4% | +23.1% |
| 1916 | 4.9% | -9.1% |
| 1917 | 6.3% | +27.7% |
| 1918 | 7.7% | +23.5% |
| 1919 | 10.6% | +36.7% |
| 1920 | 7.2% | -31.9% |
| 1921 | 9.2% | +27.1% |
| 1922 | 9.2% | +0.7% |
| 1923 | 7.0% | -23.8% |
| 1924 | 7.7% | +9.3% |
| 1925 | 10.9% | +42.2% |
| 1926 | 8.6% | -21.5% |
| 1927 | 9.6% | +11.6% |
| 1928 | 13.0% | +36.2% |
| 1929 | 6.4% | -51.0% |
| 1930 | 6.9% | +8.0% |
| 1931 | 8.9% | +28.8% |
| 1932 | 10.4% | +16.6% |
| 1933 | 12.9% | +24.8% |
| 1934 | 11.3% | -12.5% |
| 1935 | 9.0% | -20.5% |
| 1936 | 8.7% | -3.1% |
| 1937 | 9.1% | +4.6% |
| 1938 | 8.5% | -6.9% |
| 1939 | 10.3% | +21.0% |
| 1940 | 12.2% | +18.7% |
| 1941 | 15.8% | +29.7% |
| 1942 | 16.6% | +5.0% |
| 1943 | 16.9% | +1.8% |
| 1944 | 9.4% | -44.1% |
| 1945 | 8.1% | -14.6% |
| 1946 | 10.2% | +25.9% |
| 1947 | 11.6% | +13.8% |
| 1948 | 11.2% | -3.2% |
| 1949 | 11.0% | -2.1% |
| 1950 | 10.0% | -8.3% |
| 1951 | 10.2% | +1.7% |
| 1952 | 10.2% | -0.1% |
| 1953 | 10.7% | +4.7% |
| 1954 | 17.1% | +59.8% |
| 1955 | 16.8% | -1.3% |
| 1956 | 16.4% | -2.8% |
| 1957 | 16.0% | -2.0% |
| 1958 | 17.1% | +6.7% |
| 1959 | 16.3% | -4.9% |
| 1960 | 16.4% | +0.9% |
| 1961 | 15.6% | -4.8% |
| 1962 | 17.0% | +9.0% |
| 1963 | 18.2% | +6.8% |
| 1964 | 17.6% | -3.1% |
| 1965 | 17.1% | -2.8% |
| 1966 | 21.1% | +23.4% |
| 1967 | 22.2% | +4.8% |
| 1968 | 24.3% | +9.4% |
| 1969 | 25.3% | +4.4% |
| 1970 | 24.4% | -3.7% |
| 1971 | 42.2% | +72.9% |
| 1972 | 42.1% | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 39.5% | -6.3% |
| 1974 | 43.6% | +10.4% |
| 1975 | 45.3% | +3.8% |
| 1976 | 45.0% | -0.7% |
| 1977 | 45.6% | +1.5% |
| 1978 | 47.2% | +3.3% |
| 1979 | 49.6% | +5.1% |
| 1980 | 52.7% | +6.2% |
| 1981 | 56.3% | +6.9% |
| 1982 | 57.7% | +2.5% |
| 1983 | 57.9% | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 56.6% | -2.2% |
| 1985 | 55.5% | -2.0% |
| 1986 | 52.3% | -5.8% |
| 1987 | 54.0% | +3.2% |
| 1988 | 56.1% | +4.0% |
| 1989 | 56.2% | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 55.4% | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 56.1% | +1.2% |
| 1992 | 57.1% | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 60.2% | +5.4% |
| 1994 | 60.2% | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 59.3% | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 58.9% | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 56.7% | -3.8% |
| 1998 | 56.3% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 55.5% | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 53.7% | -3.3% |
| 2001 | 54.2% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 54.6% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 55.1% | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 54.6% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 52.8% | -3.2% |
| 2006 | 51.6% | -2.3% |
| 2007 | 50.8% | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 51.9% | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 58.4% | +12.6% |
| 2010 | 58.5% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 56.3% | -3.7% |
| 2012 | 57.9% | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 55.6% | -4.0% |
| 2014 | 55.1% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 54.4% | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 52.4% | -3.8% |
| 2017 | 50.6% | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 50.8% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 49.8% | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 53.3% | +7.1% |
| 2021 | 49.7% | -6.8% |
| 2022 | 45.1% | -9.3% |
| 2023 | 47.4% | +5.1% |
| 2024 | 47.3% | -0.1% |
Denmark compared with similar countries
- Denmark's 47.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 42.3%, 1.1× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Denmark's 47.3% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 44.4%, 1.1× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Government spending as share of GDP in Denmark 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | +72.9% | 24.4% | 42.2% |
| 1954 | +59.8% | 10.7% | 17.1% |
| 1929 | -51.0% | 13.0% | 6.4% |
| 1944 | -44.1% | 16.9% | 9.4% |
| 1925 | +42.2% | 7.7% | 10.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 6.7% | 5.6% | 8.8% | 10 |
| 1890s | 6.4% | 6.2% | 6.9% | 10 |
| 1900s | 6.0% | 5.4% | 7.0% | 10 |
| 1910s | 6.3% | 4.4% | 10.6% | 10 |
| 1920s | 8.9% | 6.4% | 13.0% | 10 |
| 1930s | 9.6% | 6.9% | 12.9% | 10 |
| 1940s | 12.3% | 8.1% | 16.9% | 10 |
| 1950s | 14.1% | 10.0% | 17.1% | 10 |
| 1960s | 19.5% | 15.6% | 25.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 42.4% | 24.4% | 49.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 55.5% | 52.3% | 57.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 57.6% | 55.4% | 60.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 53.8% | 50.8% | 58.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.1% | 49.8% | 58.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 48.6% | 45.1% | 53.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
More economy & growth data for Denmark
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.9574 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.4 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 30.70 billion BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0723 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 5,136 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 18.24 billion BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 121.54 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.043 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 3,052 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 17.85 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending as share of gdp in Denmark?
- Government spending as share of gdp in Denmark was 47.3% 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 Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 60.2% in 1993.
- What is the lowest government spending as share of gdp recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.4% in 1914.
- How does Denmark rank for government spending as share of gdp?
- Denmark ranks 19th out of 151 countries with data for 2024.
- Is government spending as share of gdp rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Denmark 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 — 145 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.