Government spending as share of GDP in Sweden
Sweden: Government spending as share of GDP was 49.3% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Government spending as share of GDP in Sweden, 1800–2024
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 Sweden is 49.3%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and down 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending as share of gdp in Sweden peaked at 69.4% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 4.1%, in 1829.
Sweden ranks 15th of 151 countries on this measure, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800s | 8.2% | 5.3% | 15.6% | 10 |
| 1810s | 7.5% | 5.0% | 13.0% | 10 |
| 1820s | 5.7% | 4.1% | 6.3% | 10 |
| 1830s | 6.2% | 5.7% | 6.8% | 10 |
| 1840s | 5.4% | 4.9% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 1850s | 5.4% | 4.8% | 6.6% | 10 |
| 1860s | 6.6% | 5.9% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 1870s | 6.6% | 5.4% | 8.3% | 10 |
| 1880s | 6.8% | 6.0% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 1890s | 6.9% | 6.4% | 7.9% | 10 |
| 1900s | 8.3% | 7.2% | 9.4% | 10 |
| 1910s | 9.1% | 6.7% | 18.2% | 10 |
| 1920s | 9.1% | 5.3% | 12.0% | 10 |
| 1930s | 11.3% | 8.7% | 13.6% | 10 |
| 1940s | 22.7% | 16.6% | 27.4% | 10 |
| 1950s | 21.1% | 17.0% | 24.3% | 10 |
| 1960s | 25.5% | 23.4% | 28.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 33.0% | 29.5% | 39.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 43.3% | 35.8% | 48.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 55.6% | 38.0% | 69.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 52.1% | 49.3% | 53.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 49.8% | 48.8% | 51.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 49.6% | 48.3% | 52.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
More economy & growth data for Sweden
- External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP 2.1% (2025)
- Inflation of consumer prices 0.7% (2025)
- GDP per capita 55,014 constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Share of manufacturing in gross domestic product (GDP) 12.5% (2025)
- Gross domestic product (GDP) 582.97 billion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- GDP per capita in international and market dollars 55,014 constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- DEC alternative conversion factor 9.82 LCU per US$ (2025)
- Net secondary income (Net current transfers from abroad) -120.18 billion current LCU (2025)
- Net secondary income (Net current transfers from abroad) -12.24 billion current US$ (2025)
- Taxes less subsidies on products 685.66 billion current LCU (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending as share of gdp in Sweden?
- Government spending as share of gdp in Sweden was 49.3% 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 Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 69.4% in 1993.
- What is the lowest government spending as share of gdp recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.1% in 1829.
- How does Sweden rank for government spending as share of gdp?
- Sweden ranks 15th out of 151 countries with data for 2024.
- Is government spending as share of gdp rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sweden 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 — 225 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.