Central government spending as share of GDP in Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago: Central government spending as share of GDP was 33.3% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
33.3%
Change on year
up 6.3%
World rank
48th
of 157 countries
All-time high
33.5%
in 2015
All-time low
22.1%
in 2003
Years of data
19
2001–2019

Central government spending as share of GDP in Trinidad and Tobago, 2001–2019

01020302001201020192001: 23.9 % of GDP2002: 24.9 % of GDP2003: 22.1 % of GDP2004: 22.6 % of GDP2005: 22.7 % of GDP2006: 29.5 % of GDP2007: 24.5 % of GDP2008: 26.4 % of GDP2009: 33 % of GDP2010: 30.7 % of GDP2011: 27.3 % of GDP2012: 28.5 % of GDP2013: 29.4 % of GDP2014: 31.1 % of GDP2015: 33.5 % of GDP2016: 33.4 % of GDP2017: 33 % of GDP2018: 31.4 % of GDP2019: 33.3 % 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 Trinidad and Tobago is 33.3%, measured in 2019.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.3% on the previous year and up 0.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, central government spending as share of gdp in Trinidad and Tobago peaked at 33.5% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 22.1%, in 2003.

That places Trinidad and Tobago 48th out of 157 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.

Central government spending as share of GDP in Trinidad and Tobago, year by year

Annual values for Central government spending as share of GDP in Trinidad and Tobago, 2001 to 2019.
Year % of GDP Change
2001 23.9%
2002 24.9% +4.4%
2003 22.1% -11.2%
2004 22.6% +2.3%
2005 22.7% +0.2%
2006 29.5% +30.3%
2007 24.5% -16.9%
2008 26.4% +7.8%
2009 33.0% +24.9%
2010 30.7% -7.0%
2011 27.3% -11.0%
2012 28.5% +4.4%
2013 29.4% +3.2%
2014 31.1% +5.6%
2015 33.5% +7.9%
2016 33.4% -0.4%
2017 33.0% -1.1%
2018 31.4% -5.1%
2019 33.3% +6.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 25.5% 22.1% 33.0% 9
2010s 31.2% 27.3% 33.5% 10

Countries ranked near Trinidad and Tobago

  1. 45 South Africa 33.4% compare
  2. 46 North Macedonia 33.4% compare
  3. 47 Denmark 33.3% compare
  4. 49 Colombia 33.3% compare
  5. 50 Türkiye 33.0% compare
  6. 51 Sweden 32.5% compare

See the full ranking of 157 places →

More economy & growth data for Trinidad and Tobago

All data for Trinidad and Tobago →

Frequently asked questions

What is central government spending as share of gdp in Trinidad and Tobago?
Central government spending as share of gdp in Trinidad and Tobago was 33.3% in 2019, 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 Trinidad and Tobago?
The highest recorded value was 33.5% in 2015.
What is the lowest central government spending as share of gdp recorded in Trinidad and Tobago?
The lowest recorded value was 22.1% in 2003.
How does Trinidad and Tobago rank for central government spending as share of gdp?
Trinidad and Tobago ranks 48th out of 157 countries with data for 2019.
Is central government spending as share of gdp rising or falling in Trinidad and Tobago?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Trinidad and Tobago 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.

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Central government spending as share of GDP in Trinidad and Tobago. Statizoid, drawing on International Monetary Fund (IMF), OECD, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/total-gov-expenditure-gdp-wdi/trinidad-and-tobago/

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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.