Government spending as share of GDP in Vanuatu

Vanuatu: Government spending as share of GDP was 41.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
41.1%
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
39th
of 151 countries
All-time high
44.4%
in 2021
All-time low
18.3%
in 2005
Years of data
34
1991–2024

Government spending as share of GDP in Vanuatu, 1991–2024

0102030401991200720241991: 33.2 % of GDP1992: 31.8 % of GDP1993: 26.2 % of GDP1994: 24.4 % of GDP1995: 28 % of GDP1996: 24.5 % of GDP1997: 22.2 % of GDP1998: 27.9 % of GDP1999: 23.9 % of GDP2000: 25.4 % of GDP2001: 22.3 % of GDP2002: 22.3 % of GDP2003: 18.8 % of GDP2004: 18.5 % of GDP2005: 18.3 % of GDP2006: 20.1 % of GDP2007: 22.5 % of GDP2008: 27.8 % of GDP2009: 27.6 % of GDP2010: 28.3 % of GDP2011: 25.1 % of GDP2012: 24.5 % of GDP2013: 22.9 % of GDP2014: 23.3 % of GDP2015: 42.4 % of GDP2016: 35.2 % of GDP2017: 37.1 % of GDP2018: 33.3 % of GDP2019: 39.8 % of GDP2020: 43.4 % of GDP2021: 44.4 % of GDP2022: 42 % of GDP2023: 41.6 % of GDP2024: 41.1 % of GDP

Source: International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

Vanuatu recorded 41.1% for government spending as share of gdp in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and up 76.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government spending as share of gdp in Vanuatu peaked at 44.4% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 18.3%, in 2005.

Vanuatu ranks 39th of 151 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 26.9% 22.2% 33.2% 9
2000s 22.4% 18.3% 27.8% 10
2010s 31.2% 22.9% 42.4% 10
2020s 42.5% 41.1% 44.4% 5

Countries ranked near Vanuatu

  1. 36 Portugal 42.8% compare
  2. 37 Czechia 42.8% compare
  3. 38 New Zealand 41.9% compare
  4. 40 Cyprus 40.0% compare
  5. 41 Romania 39.9% compare
  6. 42 Namibia 39.9% compare

See the full ranking of 151 places →

More economy & growth data for Vanuatu

All data for Vanuatu →

Frequently asked questions

What is government spending as share of gdp in Vanuatu?
Government spending as share of gdp in Vanuatu was 41.1% 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 Vanuatu?
The highest recorded value was 44.4% in 2021.
What is the lowest government spending as share of gdp recorded in Vanuatu?
The lowest recorded value was 18.3% in 2005.
How does Vanuatu rank for government spending as share of gdp?
Vanuatu ranks 39th out of 151 countries with data for 2024.
Is government spending as share of gdp rising or falling in Vanuatu?
Over the last ten years it is up 76.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Vanuatu 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.

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About this data

Indicator
Government spending as share of GDP
Unit
% of GDP
Source
International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
151 places, 9,265 data points, 1800–2024
Last refreshed

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.