Central government spending as share of GDP in Vanuatu
Vanuatu: Central government spending as share of GDP was 26.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Central government spending as share of GDP in Vanuatu, 1990–2023
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 Vanuatu is 26.6%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 5.5% on the previous year and up 38.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, central government spending as share of gdp in Vanuatu peaked at 30.4% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 18.8%, in 1999.
Vanuatu ranks 75th of 157 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 20.1% | 18.8% | 22.2% | 6 |
| 2000s | 21.0% | 21.0% | 21.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 22.2% | 19.2% | 24.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.7% | 26.6% | 30.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Vanuatu
More economy & growth data for Vanuatu
- External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP -22.7% (2024)
- Inflation of consumer prices 0.7% (2025)
- GDP per capita 3,249 constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Share of manufacturing in gross domestic product (GDP) 4.0% (2024)
- Gross domestic product (GDP) 1.09 billion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- GDP per capita in international and market dollars 3,249 constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- DEC alternative conversion factor 120.33 LCU per US$ (2025)
- Net secondary income (Net current transfers from abroad) 21.20 billion current LCU (2025)
- Net secondary income (Net current transfers from abroad) 176.23 million current US$ (2025)
- Taxes less subsidies on products 15.82 billion current LCU (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is central government spending as share of gdp in Vanuatu?
- Central government spending as share of gdp in Vanuatu was 26.6% 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 Vanuatu?
- The highest recorded value was 30.4% in 2020.
- What is the lowest central government spending as share of gdp recorded in Vanuatu?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.8% in 1999.
- How does Vanuatu rank for central government spending as share of gdp?
- Vanuatu ranks 75th out of 157 countries with data for 2023.
- Is central government spending as share of gdp rising or falling in Vanuatu?
- Over the last ten years it is up 38.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Vanuatu 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
CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
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.