Year-over-year change: +2.9 pp, trend up
5-year change: +22.1 pp, trend up
Nauru
Government expenditure (% of GDP): 131.6% of GDP
View MoreGovernment expenditure as percentage of GDP
Global37.2%of GDP
19802031
2026
Rankings at a glance
Highest 10 · Government expenditure as percentage of GDP (2026)
With 131.61% of GDP in 2026, Nauru is projected to lead the world in government expenditure as percentage of GDP, followed by Kiribati (116.28% of GDP) and Tuvalu (114.19% of GDP). The top 5 is rounded off by Timor-Leste (92.96% of GDP) and Libya (88.78% of GDP). Further down, the Marshall Islands (82.5% of GDP) and Ukraine (62.25% of GDP) hold the next two spots. Micronesia (61.98% of GDP), Finland (58.65% of GDP), and France (57.36% of GDP) round out the top ten. Across the top ten, Nauru would be 2.3× as high as France (57.36% of GDP). Five of the top ten are in Oceania, with four from Micronesia. Among these countries, Kiribati is projected to see the largest year-over-year change at +28.1 pp.
Rank changes
How government expenditure as percentage of GDP changed between 2021 and 2026
2021and2026
Historical trends
Key terms
- GDP
- — Gross Domestic Product, the total value of goods and services produced in a country annually.
- GDP PPP
- — GDP adjusted for purchasing power parity, reflecting what money actually buys in each country.
- GDP per capita
- — GDP divided by population, a measure of average economic output per person.
- Inflation rate
- — Annual percentage increase in the general price level of goods and services.
- Fiscal balance
- — Government revenue minus expenditure. Surplus if positive, deficit if negative.
- Current account
- — Net flow of goods, services, and transfers with the rest of the world.
Frequently asked questions
- Which country has the highest government expenditure as percentage of GDP?
- Nauru is projected to have the highest government expenditure as percentage of GDP at 131.6% of GDP in 2026, according to IMF World Economic Outlook.
- Which country has the lowest government expenditure as percentage of GDP?
- Haiti is projected to have the lowest government expenditure as percentage of GDP at 5.8% of GDP in 2026, according to IMF World Economic Outlook.
- What is the global government expenditure as percentage of GDP?
- Weighted by the size of each economy, the global government expenditure as percentage of GDP is projected to be 37.2% of GDP in 2026, according to IMF World Economic Outlook.
