Government spending as share of GDP in Norway
Norway: Government spending as share of GDP was 48.5% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Government spending as share of GDP in Norway, 1881–2024
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 Norway stood at 48.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.6% on the previous year and up 7.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending as share of gdp in Norway peaked at 56.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 4.1%, in 1916.
That places Norway 16th out of 151 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 6.5% | 5.6% | 6.9% | 9 |
| 1890s | 8.1% | 6.8% | 9.9% | 10 |
| 1900s | 9.5% | 8.6% | 10.8% | 10 |
| 1910s | 7.9% | 4.1% | 10.0% | 10 |
| 1920s | 10.0% | 8.6% | 13.7% | 10 |
| 1930s | 8.4% | 7.4% | 9.7% | 10 |
| 1940s | 19.6% | 18.0% | 22.5% | 4 |
| 1950s | 16.7% | 13.8% | 18.1% | 10 |
| 1960s | 30.8% | 18.0% | 38.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 43.7% | 38.9% | 47.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 47.7% | 44.0% | 52.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 51.5% | 46.8% | 55.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 43.8% | 40.5% | 48.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 46.6% | 42.4% | 50.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 47.0% | 37.5% | 56.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Norway
More economy & growth data for Norway
- External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP 11.7% (2025)
- Inflation of consumer prices 3.1% (2025)
- GDP per capita 83,813 constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Share of manufacturing in gross domestic product (GDP) 6.1% (2025)
- Gross domestic product (GDP) 470.26 billion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- GDP per capita in international and market dollars 83,813 constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- DEC alternative conversion factor 10.4 LCU per US$ (2025)
- Net secondary income (Net current transfers from abroad) -56.92 billion current LCU (2022)
- Net secondary income (Net current transfers from abroad) -5.92 billion current US$ (2022)
- Taxes less subsidies on products 488.47 billion current LCU (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending as share of gdp in Norway?
- Government spending as share of gdp in Norway was 48.5% 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 Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 56.7% in 2020.
- What is the lowest government spending as share of gdp recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.1% in 1916.
- How does Norway rank for government spending as share of gdp?
- Norway ranks 16th out of 151 countries with data for 2024.
- Is government spending as share of gdp rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Norway 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 — 138 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
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.