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United Kingdom - Government Spending 2018

Government expenditure as % of GDP · World Bank
37.20% +0.35% from 2017 Global rank: 119th

United Kingdom's government spending was 37.20% in 2018, increased +0.35% from 36.84% in 2017. This was the 119th highest globally.

Global Ranking - 2018▾
Government Spending by Country - 2018
RankCountryValueYoY
1st Somalia, Fed. Rep. 0.00% 0.9%
2nd United Arab Emirates 3.80% -2.3%
3rd Myanmar 6.38% -62.3%
4th Bangladesh 7.49% -1.9%
5th Madagascar 9.83% -7.1%
6th Congo, Democratic Republic of 10.08% 28.6%
7th Central African Republic 10.12% 16.7%
8th Equatorial Guinea 10.32% 4.2%
9th Mali 10.37% -1.2%
10th Cambodia 10.76% -0.3%
11th Zimbabwe 10.98% 12.2%
12th Cameroon 11.37% 8.0%
13th Uganda 11.84% 5.1%
14th Lao PDR 12.31% -0.2%
15th Guinea-Bissau 12.81% -2.7%
16th Guatemala 12.98% 0.7%
17th Panama 13.59% -2.5%
18th Togo 13.63% 18.4%
19th Gabon 13.70% -12.6%
20th Angola 13.85% -4.9%
21st Philippines 14.21% 4.4%
22nd Tanzania 14.57% -7.4%
23rd Macao SAR, China 14.60% -4.0%
24th Singapore 14.68% 2.8%
25th Uzbekistan 14.70% 15.7%
26th Kazakhstan 14.71% -22.7%
27th Côte d'Ivoire 14.74% -1.4%
28th Malawi 14.92% 12.7%
29th Sri Lanka 15.28% -0.3%
30th India 15.66% 0.3%
31st Malaysia 15.92% 0.6%
32nd Dominican Republic 16.03% -4.8%
33rd Japan 16.07% -0.8%
34th Paraguay 16.13% 11.5%
35th Congo, Republic of 16.42% 2.4%
36th Switzerland 16.72% -2.9%
37th Nicaragua 16.85% 2.0%
38th Burkina Faso 17.37% -6.1%
39th Bahamas, The 17.38% -11.9%
40th Canada 17.54% -0.4%
41st Ghana 17.60% 1.4%
42nd Papua New Guinea 18.31% 10.4%
43rd Rwanda 18.69% 0.1%
44th Thailand 19.02% -0.5%
45th Bhutan 19.39% 10.0%
46th Mozambique 19.65% 11.5%
47th Senegal 19.85% 0.3%
48th Mexico 19.87% 0.0%
49th Peru 19.89% -1.3%
50th Zambia 20.11% -3.9%
51st Nepal 20.17% 19.7%
52nd Azerbaijan 21.40% -23.5%
53rd Maldives 21.97% 8.0%
54th Micronesia, Federated States of 22.05% -2.6%
55th Armenia 22.08% -2.4%
56th Mauritius 22.24% 1.4%
57th United States 22.30% 0.0%
58th Bahrain 22.47% -0.2%
59th Mongolia 22.50% -5.1%
60th Cabo Verde 22.51% 20.6%
61st Chile 22.62% 1.2%
62nd Argentina 22.67% -6.6%
63rd Morocco 22.86% 0.8%
64th Albania 22.93% -2.2%
65th Ireland 23.05% -2.9%
66th Korea 23.57% 3.6%
67th Kenya 23.64% -5.9%
68th Georgia 23.72% -11.7%
69th Iraq 24.48% -5.7%
70th West Bank and Gaza 24.62% -8.4%
71st El Salvador 24.73% -0.5%
72nd Jamaica 24.79% -0.9%
73rd Kyrgyz Republic 25.49% -2.2%
74th Vanuatu 25.62% -4.9%
75th Australia 26.13% -1.5%
76th Jordan 26.29% 2.9%
77th Eswatini 26.76% -1.1%
78th Saudi Arabia 26.80% 3.1%
79th Germany 27.36% -0.6%
80th Solomon Islands 27.58% -8.8%
81st Moldova 27.78% 2.0%
82nd North Macedonia 27.85% -0.5%
83rd Fiji 28.03% 10.5%
84th Belarus 28.16% -3.9%
85th Samoa 28.31% 14.8%
86th Costa Rica 28.92% 13.9%
87th Russian Federation 28.94% -5.8%
88th Botswana 29.06% 3.2%
89th Lebanon 29.35% 12.9%
90th New Zealand 29.68% -0.7%
91st Colombia 29.97% 9.0%
92nd Iceland 30.38% -2.1%
93rd Latvia 30.65% 0.7%
94th Tonga 31.08% -2.6%
95th Trinidad and Tobago 31.36% -5.1%
96th Lithuania 31.68% 1.9%
97th Spain 31.73% 1.2%
98th Czechia 31.83% 1.4%
99th Uruguay 31.91% 2.1%
100th Sweden 32.04% 0.2%
101st Brazil 32.23% -0.4%
102nd Malta 32.59% 2.4%
103rd Romania 32.75% 3.6%
104th Poland 33.06% -3.5%
105th Türkiye 33.14% 5.0%
106th Bulgaria 33.16% 3.6%
107th Ukraine 33.41% -0.6%
108th Ecuador 33.73% 7.0%
109th South Africa 34.00% 2.2%
110th Bosnia and Herzegovina 34.50% 1.8%
111th Namibia 35.10% -9.0%
112th Serbia 35.19% -2.6%
113th Estonia 35.22% 1.5%
114th Israel 35.82% 0.8%
115th Denmark 36.18% -0.3%
116th European Union 36.58% -1.2%
117th Slovak Republic 37.13% 0.2%
118th Norway 37.13% -4.0%
119th United Kingdom 37.20% 1.0%
120th Finland 37.68% -1.3%
121st Netherlands 37.99% -0.8%
122nd Croatia 38.29% -1.9%
123rd Luxembourg 38.83% 2.8%
124th Lesotho 39.25% -1.2%
125th Portugal 39.28% -5.7%
126th Hungary 39.70% -5.5%
127th Belgium 39.94% -0.4%
128th Cyprus 40.34% 9.5%
129th Palau 40.72% -1.5%
130th Slovenia 41.15% -2.7%
131st Italy 42.50% -1.0%
132nd Austria 44.14% -1.6%
133rd San Marino 44.37% 2.5%
134th France 47.10% -2.8%
135th Greece 48.02% 0.7%
136th Timor-Leste 56.94% -0.2%
137th Kiribati 61.71% -4.2%
138th Marshall Islands 61.73% 1.6%
139th Nauru 78.44% -13.4%
Source: World Bank (GC.XPN.TOTL.GD.ZS)

FAQ

What was United Kingdom's government spending in 2018?▾

United Kingdom's government spending in 2018 was 37.20%. This ranked 119th globally.

How did United Kingdom's government spending change in 2018?▾

United Kingdom's government spending increased by 1.0% in 2018 compared to 2017.

Which country had the highest government spending in 2018?▾

Nauru had the highest government spending in 2018 at 78.44%.

What is the government spending of United Kingdom in 2018?▾

The government spending of United Kingdom in 2018 was 37.20%. This ranked 119th globally.

How does 2018 compare to 2017 for United Kingdom's government spending?▾

United Kingdom's government spending went from 36.84% in 2017 to 37.20% in 2018, a 1.0% increase.

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