Central government spending as share of GDP in Samoa

Samoa: Central government spending as share of GDP was 26.7% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
26.7%
Change on year
down 16.2%
World rank
74th
of 157 countries
All-time high
34.4%
in 2021
All-time low
24.7%
in 2017
Years of data
12
2012–2023

Central government spending as share of GDP in Samoa, 2012–2023

01020302012201720232012: 28.8 % of GDP2013: 28.8 % of GDP2014: 30.7 % of GDP2015: 28.6 % of GDP2016: 25 % of GDP2017: 24.7 % of GDP2018: 28.3 % of GDP2019: 27.8 % of GDP2020: 29.8 % of GDP2021: 34.4 % of GDP2022: 31.8 % of GDP2023: 26.7 % of GDP

Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF), OECD, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

The most recent figure for central government spending as share of gdp in Samoa is 26.7%, measured in 2023.

The figure is down 16.2% on the previous year and down 7.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, central government spending as share of gdp in Samoa peaked at 34.4% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 24.7%, in 2017.

That places Samoa 74th out of 157 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 27.8% 24.7% 30.7% 8
2020s 30.7% 26.7% 34.4% 4

Countries ranked near Samoa

  1. 71 Australia 27.6% compare
  2. 72 Jamaica 27.5% compare
  3. 73 Saint Kitts and Nevis 26.7% compare
  4. 75 Vanuatu 26.6% compare
  5. 76 Morocco 26.6% compare
  6. 77 Botswana 26.5% compare

See the full ranking of 157 places →

More economy & growth data for Samoa

All data for Samoa →

Frequently asked questions

What is central government spending as share of gdp in Samoa?
Central government spending as share of gdp in Samoa was 26.7% in 2023, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF), OECD, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest central government spending as share of gdp recorded in Samoa?
The highest recorded value was 34.4% in 2021.
What is the lowest central government spending as share of gdp recorded in Samoa?
The lowest recorded value was 24.7% in 2017.
How does Samoa rank for central government spending as share of gdp?
Samoa ranks 74th out of 157 countries with data for 2023.
Is central government spending as share of gdp rising or falling in Samoa?
Over the last ten years it is down 7.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Samoa data come from?
The figures come from International Monetary Fund (IMF), OECD, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Central government spending as share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

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About this data

Indicator
Central government spending as share of GDP
Unit
% of GDP
Source
International Monetary Fund (IMF), OECD, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
157 places, 4,442 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed

Central government expense (cash payments for operating activities of the government in providing goods and services), as share of GDP. It excludes capital investment, such as infrastructure or equipment.