Countries With the Lowest Government Expense
Every country with a figure for government expense, ranked from lowest to highest. The top three are United Arab Emirates (3.77%), Ethiopia (6.12%) and Lebanon (6.3%). The middle country of the 151 has 26.5%.
What this measures
Government expense (% of GDP). Source: World Bank. For this measure, no agreed better direction.
Total central government spending, as a share of GDP: buying, payments to people, subsidies and interest together. From the IMF's Government Finance Statistics. It is the fuller measure of government size, but it covers fewer countries. It counts central government only, so a country with large state and local budgets looks low. About forty fewer countries report it than report government consumption. No "better" direction is set.
The full ranking
Each country’s latest figure, from 2012–2024. The year beside each value says when it was measured.
| Rank | Country | Government expense | Year | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Arab Emirates | 3.77% | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 2 | Ethiopia | 6.12% | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 3 | Lebanon | 6.3% | 2021 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 4 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 6.35% | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 5 | Bangladesh | 8.32% | 2021 | South Asia |
| 6 | Sudan | 9.73% | 2016 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 7 | Lao PDR | 10.3% | 2022 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 8 | Zimbabwe | 11% | 2018 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 9 | Tajikistan | 11% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 10 | Madagascar | 11% | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 11 | Equatorial Guinea | 11% | 2022 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 12 | Central African Republic | 11.7% | 2021 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 13 | Mali | 12.2% | 2020 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 14 | Burundi | 12.3% | 2021 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 15 | Cameroon | 12.4% | 2021 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 16 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 12.4% | 2022 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 17 | Cambodia | 12.9% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 18 | Guatemala | 13.5% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 19 | India | 13.7% | 2022 | South Asia |
| 20 | Myanmar | 13.8% | 2019 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 21 | Gabon | 14.1% | 2021 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 22 | Angola | 14.6% | 2019 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 23 | Guinea-Bissau | 15.5% | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 24 | Togo | 16% | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 25 | Switzerland | 16.1% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 26 | Congo, Rep. | 16.1% | 2021 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 27 | Nicaragua | 16.3% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 28 | Tanzania | 16.3% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 29 | Uganda | 16.6% | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 30 | Philippines | 16.9% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 31 | Malaysia | 17% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 32 | Singapore | 17.1% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 33 | Panama | 17.1% | 2021 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 34 | Kazakhstan | 17.4% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 35 | St. Lucia | 17.6% | 2017 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 36 | Cote d'Ivoire | 17.9% | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 37 | Rwanda | 18% | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 38 | Sri Lanka | 18% | 2023 | South Asia |
| 39 | Dominican Republic | 18.1% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 40 | Paraguay | 18.9% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 41 | Canada | 19.1% | 2023 | North America |
| 42 | Ireland | 19.2% | 2022 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 43 | Nepal | 19.4% | 2021 | South Asia |
| 44 | Burkina Faso | 19.6% | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 45 | Macao SAR, China | 19.6% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 46 | Japan | 20.1% | 2022 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 47 | Malawi | 20.2% | 2022 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 48 | Papua New Guinea | 20.3% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 49 | Bahamas, The | 20.3% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 50 | Thailand | 20.7% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 51 | Armenia | 20.9% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 52 | Argentina | 21% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 53 | Belize | 22.3% | 2017 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 54 | Uzbekistan | 22.3% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 55 | Mexico | 22.5% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 56 | Ghana | 22.7% | 2022 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 57 | Peru | 22.8% | 2021 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 58 | Azerbaijan | 23% | 2022 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 59 | Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 23.4% | 2020 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 60 | Senegal | 23.6% | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 61 | Kyrgyz Republic | 23.7% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 62 | Bhutan | 24.1% | 2020 | South Asia |
| 63 | Saudi Arabia | 24.2% | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 64 | Honduras | 24.4% | 2020 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 65 | United States | 24.4% | 2023 | North America |
| 66 | Chile | 24.6% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 67 | Eswatini | 24.6% | 2021 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 68 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 24.7% | 2017 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 69 | Zambia | 25.1% | 2021 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 70 | Georgia | 25.2% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 71 | Albania | 25.4% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 72 | Jordan | 25.9% | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 73 | Mozambique | 26% | 2022 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 74 | Bahrain | 26.1% | 2020 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 75 | West Bank and Gaza | 26.2% | 2021 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 76 | Botswana | 26.5% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 77 | Morocco | 26.6% | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 78 | Vanuatu | 26.6% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 79 | Samoa | 26.7% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 80 | St. Kitts and Nevis | 26.7% | 2020 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 81 | Jamaica | 27.5% | 2020 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 82 | Australia | 27.6% | 2022 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 83 | Iraq | 27.6% | 2019 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 84 | Fiji | 27.8% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 85 | Kenya | 27.8% | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 86 | El Salvador | 27.9% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 87 | Korea, Rep. | 28.3% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 88 | Belarus | 28.5% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 89 | Costa Rica | 28.6% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 90 | Barbados | 28.8% | 2016 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 91 | Solomon Islands | 28.9% | 2022 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 92 | Mauritius | 29.1% | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 93 | Maldives | 29.5% | 2021 | South Asia |
| 94 | Russian Federation | 30% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 95 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 30.2% | 2015 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 96 | Ecuador | 30.4% | 2022 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 97 | Cabo Verde | 30.9% | 2020 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 98 | Germany | 31.2% | 2022 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 99 | Mongolia | 31.7% | 2021 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 100 | Iceland | 32% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 101 | Brazil | 32.4% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 102 | Sweden | 32.5% | 2022 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 103 | Turkiye | 33% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 104 | Colombia | 33.3% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 105 | Trinidad and Tobago | 33.3% | 2019 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 106 | Denmark | 33.3% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 107 | North Macedonia | 33.4% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 108 | South Africa | 33.4% | 2022 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 109 | Malta | 33.7% | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 110 | Tunisia | 33.8% | 2012 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 111 | Lithuania | 33.9% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 112 | Spain | 34% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 113 | Latvia | 34.2% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 114 | Czechia | 34.4% | 2022 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 115 | Moldova | 34.5% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 116 | Norway | 34.5% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 117 | Tonga | 34.7% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 118 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 35.3% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 119 | Serbia | 35.5% | 2022 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 120 | New Zealand | 35.5% | 2022 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 121 | Bulgaria | 35.8% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 122 | Namibia | 36.2% | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 123 | Uruguay | 36.5% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 124 | Portugal | 37.2% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 125 | Romania | 37.3% | 2022 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 126 | Israel | 37.3% | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 127 | Estonia | 37.7% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 128 | Croatia | 38.1% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 129 | Cyprus | 38.5% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 130 | Poland | 39.1% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 131 | Afghanistan | 39.2% | 2017 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 132 | Belgium | 39.7% | 2022 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 133 | Slovak Republic | 39.8% | 2022 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 134 | Netherlands | 40% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 135 | Lesotho | 40.2% | 2022 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 136 | San Marino | 40.5% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 137 | United Kingdom | 41.2% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 138 | Luxembourg | 42.2% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 139 | Hungary | 42.4% | 2022 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 140 | Slovenia | 42.9% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 141 | Finland | 44.9% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 142 | Austria | 46% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 143 | France | 47.3% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 144 | Italy | 47.3% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 145 | Greece | 47.3% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 146 | Timor-Leste | 52.5% | 2022 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 147 | Palau | 59% | 2020 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 148 | Marshall Islands | 59.4% | 2020 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 149 | Ukraine | 65.6% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 150 | Kiribati | 83.7% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 151 | Naoero | 104% | 2020 | East Asia & Pacific |
More on government expense
- Countries With the Highest Government Expense
- Government expense by country: trend over time and what it goes with
Related rankings
- Countries With the Lowest Public Social Spending
- Countries With the Lowest Family Benefits Spending
- Countries With the Lowest Old-age Spending
- Countries With the Lowest Aid Given
- Countries With the Lowest Government Spending per Capita
- Countries With the Lowest Corporate Tax Rates
- Countries With the Lowest HDI
- Countries With the Lowest Inequality-adjusted HDI
A ranking describes countries, not the people in them, and a high or low place does not by itself say why. All country rankings.