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Government expenditure as percentage of GDP (2026)

189/237 countries
Global29.1%of GDPYear-over-year+1.54%5-year change+1.68%
1980
2026
2031

Rankings at a glance

Top 10 · Government expenditure as percentage of GDP (2026)

With 131.61% of GDP in 2026, Nauru leads 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 is 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 saw the largest year-over-year change at +31.8%.

Rank changes

How government expenditure as percentage of GDP changed between two years

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Historical trends

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Frequently asked questions

Which country has the lowest government expenditure as percentage of GDP?
Haiti has the lowest government expenditure as percentage of GDP at 5.8% of GDP as of 2026, according to IMF World Economic Outlook.
Which country has the highest government expenditure as percentage of GDP?
Nauru has the highest government expenditure as percentage of GDP at 131.6% of GDP as of 2026, according to IMF World Economic Outlook.
What is the global government expenditure as percentage of GDP?
Weighted by population, the global government expenditure as percentage of GDP is 29.1% of GDP as of 2026, according to IMF World Economic Outlook.

Source: IMF World Economic Outlook · Updated