Government spending as share of GDP in Greece
Greece: Government spending as share of GDP was 48.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
48.0%
Change on year
down 3.1%
World rank
18th
of 151 countries
All-time high
59.3%
in 2020
All-time low
15.2%
in 1882
Years of data
124
1880–2024
Government spending as share of GDP in Greece, 1880–2024
Source: International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Greece recorded 48.0% for government spending as share of gdp in 2024.
The figure is down 3.1% on the previous year and down 6.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending as share of gdp in Greece peaked at 59.3% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 15.2%, in 1882.
Greece ranks 18th of 151 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 124 years of available data.
Government spending as share of GDP in Greece, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 23.6% | — |
| 1881 | 24.7% | +4.9% |
| 1882 | 15.2% | -38.6% |
| 1883 | 17.7% | +17.1% |
| 1884 | 21.4% | +20.5% |
| 1885 | 23.5% | +9.9% |
| 1886 | 22.0% | -6.2% |
| 1887 | 21.6% | -2.2% |
| 1888 | 21.0% | -2.7% |
| 1889 | 31.1% | +48.3% |
| 1890 | 25.7% | -17.3% |
| 1891 | 21.7% | -15.6% |
| 1892 | 19.3% | -10.8% |
| 1893 | 15.4% | -20.6% |
| 1894 | 17.0% | +10.5% |
| 1895 | 15.4% | -9.4% |
| 1896 | 17.1% | +11.0% |
| 1897 | 22.9% | +34.0% |
| 1898 | 51.4% | +124.9% |
| 1899 | 17.5% | -66.0% |
| 1900 | 19.8% | +12.9% |
| 1901 | 18.6% | -6.1% |
| 1902 | 20.6% | +10.9% |
| 1903 | 17.7% | -13.8% |
| 1904 | 18.1% | +1.8% |
| 1905 | 17.4% | -3.9% |
| 1906 | 18.5% | +6.6% |
| 1907 | 17.8% | -3.7% |
| 1908 | 19.2% | +7.6% |
| 1909 | 18.1% | -5.5% |
| 1910 | 19.7% | +8.4% |
| 1911 | 19.3% | -1.7% |
| 1912 | 20.1% | +4.1% |
| 1913 | 17.7% | -12.2% |
| 1927 | 17.7% | -0.0% |
| 1928 | 20.6% | +16.4% |
| 1929 | 40.8% | +98.5% |
| 1930 | 26.0% | -36.3% |
| 1931 | 30.4% | +17.0% |
| 1932 | 22.0% | -27.6% |
| 1933 | 21.0% | -4.7% |
| 1934 | 20.4% | -2.5% |
| 1935 | 22.1% | +7.9% |
| 1936 | 21.5% | -2.5% |
| 1937 | 19.7% | -8.2% |
| 1938 | 18.9% | -4.3% |
| 1939 | 20.9% | +10.8% |
| 1948 | 21.5% | +2.9% |
| 1949 | 24.4% | +13.2% |
| 1950 | 27.1% | +11.2% |
| 1951 | 26.9% | -0.7% |
| 1952 | 25.6% | -4.7% |
| 1953 | 17.6% | -31.2% |
| 1954 | 20.0% | +13.6% |
| 1955 | 19.9% | -0.5% |
| 1956 | 29.3% | +46.7% |
| 1957 | 19.3% | -34.2% |
| 1958 | 20.6% | +6.9% |
| 1959 | 19.4% | -6.0% |
| 1960 | 20.0% | +3.0% |
| 1961 | 19.3% | -3.1% |
| 1962 | 19.7% | +1.8% |
| 1963 | 19.5% | -0.8% |
| 1964 | 20.4% | +4.5% |
| 1965 | 21.7% | +6.1% |
| 1966 | 22.8% | +5.5% |
| 1967 | 24.6% | +7.6% |
| 1968 | 26.3% | +7.2% |
| 1969 | 29.7% | +12.8% |
| 1970 | 25.2% | -15.3% |
| 1971 | 25.8% | +2.6% |
| 1972 | 26.8% | +3.9% |
| 1973 | 24.3% | -9.4% |
| 1974 | 25.3% | +3.8% |
| 1975 | 28.7% | +13.5% |
| 1976 | 29.1% | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 30.1% | +3.7% |
| 1978 | 30.1% | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 24.1% | -19.8% |
| 1980 | 24.5% | +1.5% |
| 1981 | 28.1% | +14.5% |
| 1982 | 28.7% | +2.2% |
| 1983 | 30.2% | +5.4% |
| 1984 | 32.0% | +5.7% |
| 1985 | 34.2% | +7.1% |
| 1986 | 33.8% | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 34.0% | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 33.8% | -0.6% |
| 1989 | 34.8% | +2.9% |
| 1990 | 38.5% | +10.7% |
| 1991 | 35.2% | -8.6% |
| 1992 | 36.9% | +4.9% |
| 1993 | 38.6% | +4.7% |
| 1994 | 36.9% | -4.4% |
| 1995 | 46.6% | +26.3% |
| 1996 | 46.1% | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 45.1% | -2.3% |
| 1998 | 46.7% | +3.6% |
| 1999 | 48.0% | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 48.2% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 47.5% | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 47.1% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 47.9% | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 48.8% | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 46.6% | -4.5% |
| 2006 | 45.9% | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 47.8% | +4.1% |
| 2008 | 51.5% | +7.9% |
| 2009 | 54.8% | +6.4% |
| 2010 | 53.1% | -3.2% |
| 2011 | 55.1% | +3.8% |
| 2012 | 54.9% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 53.0% | -3.4% |
| 2014 | 51.5% | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 51.9% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 50.3% | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 48.5% | -3.5% |
| 2018 | 48.6% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 47.6% | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 59.3% | +24.6% |
| 2021 | 56.7% | -4.3% |
| 2022 | 52.8% | -6.9% |
| 2023 | 49.5% | -6.3% |
| 2024 | 48.0% | -3.1% |
Greece compared with similar countries
- Greece's 48.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 42.3%, 1.1× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Greece's 48.0% 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 Greece 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 | +124.9% | 22.9% | 51.4% |
| 1929 | +98.5% | 20.6% | 40.8% |
| 1899 | -66.0% | 51.4% | 17.5% |
| 1889 | +48.3% | 21.0% | 31.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 22.2% | 15.2% | 31.1% | 10 |
| 1890s | 22.3% | 15.4% | 51.4% | 10 |
| 1900s | 18.6% | 17.4% | 20.6% | 10 |
| 1910s | 19.2% | 17.7% | 20.1% | 4 |
| 1920s | 26.3% | 17.7% | 40.8% | 3 |
| 1930s | 22.3% | 18.9% | 30.4% | 10 |
| 1940s | 22.9% | 21.5% | 24.4% | 2 |
| 1950s | 22.6% | 17.6% | 29.3% | 10 |
| 1960s | 22.4% | 19.3% | 29.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 27.0% | 24.1% | 30.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 31.4% | 24.5% | 34.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 41.9% | 35.2% | 48.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 48.6% | 45.9% | 54.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.4% | 47.6% | 55.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 53.3% | 48.0% | 59.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Greece
More economy & growth data for Greece
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.67 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.25 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 2.22 billion BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0087 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 213.34 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 6.74 billion BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 42.78 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0263 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 647.98 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 57.98 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending as share of gdp in Greece?
- Government spending as share of gdp in Greece was 48.0% 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 Greece?
- The highest recorded value was 59.3% in 2020.
- What is the lowest government spending as share of gdp recorded in Greece?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.2% in 1882.
- How does Greece rank for government spending as share of gdp?
- Greece ranks 18th out of 151 countries with data for 2024.
- Is government spending as share of gdp rising or falling in Greece?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Greece 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.