Government spending as share of GDP in Mexico
Mexico: Government spending as share of GDP was 30.3% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
30.3%
Change on year
up 6.3%
World rank
76th
of 151 countries
All-time high
30.3%
in 2024
All-time low
2.8%
in 1917
Years of data
122
1900–2024
Government spending as share of GDP in Mexico, 1900–2024
Source: International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2024, government spending as share of gdp in Mexico stood at 30.3%. That is the highest value across all 122 years on record.
The figure is up 6.3% on the previous year and up 12.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending as share of gdp in Mexico peaked at 30.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 2.8%, in 1917.
Mexico ranks 76th of 151 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Government spending as share of GDP in Mexico, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 4.7% | — |
| 1901 | 3.8% | -18.6% |
| 1902 | 4.4% | +15.5% |
| 1903 | 6.5% | +45.8% |
| 1904 | 5.9% | -8.0% |
| 1905 | 4.4% | -26.6% |
| 1906 | 4.6% | +5.6% |
| 1907 | 4.5% | -2.7% |
| 1908 | 4.3% | -3.5% |
| 1909 | 4.0% | -6.3% |
| 1910 | 3.6% | -10.0% |
| 1911 | 3.7% | +0.9% |
| 1912 | 4.5% | +21.1% |
| 1913 | 3.1% | -31.1% |
| 1917 | 2.8% | -7.6% |
| 1918 | 3.6% | +25.2% |
| 1919 | 3.4% | -3.9% |
| 1920 | 4.1% | +20.4% |
| 1921 | 4.7% | +15.1% |
| 1922 | 5.0% | +5.0% |
| 1923 | 4.7% | -5.2% |
| 1924 | 4.6% | -3.2% |
| 1925 | 5.7% | +24.9% |
| 1926 | 5.9% | +4.5% |
| 1927 | 6.2% | +4.6% |
| 1928 | 5.7% | -7.7% |
| 1929 | 5.7% | -1.1% |
| 1930 | 6.0% | +5.3% |
| 1931 | 5.4% | -10.4% |
| 1932 | 6.6% | +23.4% |
| 1933 | 6.5% | -2.0% |
| 1934 | 6.4% | -1.5% |
| 1935 | 6.6% | +3.9% |
| 1936 | 7.6% | +14.5% |
| 1937 | 7.0% | -7.2% |
| 1938 | 6.9% | -1.7% |
| 1939 | 7.3% | +6.0% |
| 1940 | 7.4% | +0.8% |
| 1941 | 7.5% | +0.9% |
| 1942 | 7.9% | +6.0% |
| 1943 | 8.3% | +5.2% |
| 1944 | 8.0% | -3.8% |
| 1945 | 7.9% | -0.8% |
| 1946 | 6.5% | -17.5% |
| 1947 | 7.6% | +15.3% |
| 1948 | 8.4% | +10.9% |
| 1949 | 10.9% | +30.2% |
| 1950 | 8.8% | -19.5% |
| 1951 | 9.3% | +6.4% |
| 1952 | 9.9% | +6.5% |
| 1953 | 8.5% | -14.7% |
| 1954 | 9.6% | +13.4% |
| 1955 | 8.1% | -15.3% |
| 1956 | 8.4% | +3.4% |
| 1957 | 8.2% | -2.2% |
| 1958 | 8.8% | +6.5% |
| 1959 | 8.1% | -7.8% |
| 1960 | 9.5% | +17.5% |
| 1961 | 8.0% | -15.6% |
| 1962 | 8.3% | +3.1% |
| 1963 | 8.5% | +3.1% |
| 1964 | 9.2% | +8.2% |
| 1965 | 10.7% | +16.6% |
| 1966 | 11.6% | +8.0% |
| 1967 | 10.4% | -10.2% |
| 1968 | 10.9% | +5.0% |
| 1969 | 11.8% | +7.7% |
| 1970 | 10.9% | -7.2% |
| 1971 | 10.6% | -3.0% |
| 1972 | 11.9% | +11.8% |
| 1973 | 12.7% | +7.4% |
| 1974 | 13.8% | +8.2% |
| 1975 | 14.7% | +6.9% |
| 1976 | 15.5% | +5.0% |
| 1977 | 15.5% | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 15.7% | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 16.5% | +4.9% |
| 1980 | 17.5% | +6.5% |
| 1981 | 20.1% | +14.7% |
| 1982 | 24.7% | +22.6% |
| 1983 | 21.6% | -12.3% |
| 1984 | 19.8% | -8.4% |
| 1985 | 21.4% | +7.8% |
| 1986 | 25.1% | +17.7% |
| 1987 | 26.7% | +6.0% |
| 1988 | 23.6% | -11.5% |
| 1989 | 19.2% | -18.5% |
| 1990 | 16.6% | -13.8% |
| 1991 | 13.9% | -16.1% |
| 1992 | 13.4% | -3.8% |
| 1993 | 12.3% | -8.0% |
| 1994 | 12.5% | +1.9% |
| 1995 | 13.3% | +5.7% |
| 1996 | 20.8% | +56.9% |
| 1997 | 20.7% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 19.5% | -6.1% |
| 1999 | 20.1% | +3.4% |
| 2000 | 19.4% | -3.7% |
| 2001 | 19.5% | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 19.8% | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 21.5% | +8.8% |
| 2004 | 20.5% | -4.9% |
| 2005 | 21.2% | +3.4% |
| 2006 | 21.6% | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 22.5% | +4.4% |
| 2008 | 26.5% | +17.7% |
| 2009 | 26.5% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 26.5% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 26.6% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 27.0% | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 26.7% | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 26.9% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 26.6% | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 26.5% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 25.0% | -5.7% |
| 2018 | 25.0% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 25.3% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 27.8% | +10.0% |
| 2021 | 26.7% | -4.0% |
| 2022 | 28.5% | +6.8% |
| 2023 | 28.5% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 30.3% | +6.3% |
Mexico compared with similar countries
- Mexico's 30.3% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 30.9%, 98% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Mexico's 30.3% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 27.1%, 1.1× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Government spending as share of GDP in Mexico 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 | +56.9% | 13.3% | 20.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 4.7% | 3.8% | 6.5% | 10 |
| 1910s | 3.5% | 2.8% | 4.5% | 7 |
| 1920s | 5.2% | 4.1% | 6.2% | 10 |
| 1930s | 6.6% | 5.4% | 7.6% | 10 |
| 1940s | 8.0% | 6.5% | 10.9% | 10 |
| 1950s | 8.8% | 8.1% | 9.9% | 10 |
| 1960s | 9.9% | 8.0% | 11.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 13.8% | 10.6% | 16.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 22.0% | 17.5% | 26.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.3% | 12.3% | 20.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 21.9% | 19.4% | 26.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.2% | 25.0% | 27.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.4% | 26.7% | 30.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Mexico
More economy & growth data for Mexico
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.43 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.06 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 11.29 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0062 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 85.55 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 43.09 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -5.25 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0235 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 326.53 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 10.41 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending as share of gdp in Mexico?
- Government spending as share of gdp in Mexico was 30.3% 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 Mexico?
- The highest recorded value was 30.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest government spending as share of gdp recorded in Mexico?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.8% in 1917.
- How does Mexico rank for government spending as share of gdp?
- Mexico ranks 76th out of 151 countries with data for 2024.
- Is government spending as share of gdp rising or falling in Mexico?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Mexico 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 — 122 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.