Australia vs Colombia: Government spending by function
Australia
26.5%
in 2023
Colombia
25.1%
in 2023
Australia rank
31st
Colombia rank
34th
Government spending by function over time
- Australia
- Colombia
How they compare
Australia currently reports 26.5% against 25.1% in Colombia, a difference of 1.4%.
That makes Australia's figure about 1.1 times Colombia's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 15 shared years of data; in 2009 it was Colombia ahead.
Australia ranks 31st and Colombia ranks 34th of 37 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 1 and Colombia in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | Colombia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 25.2% | 28.2% | 3.0% | Colombia |
| 2010s | 25.8% | 27.0% | 1.1% | Colombia |
| 2020s | 25.8% | 25.6% | 0.2% | Australia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending by function, Australia or Colombia?
- Australia, at 26.5% against 25.1% in Colombia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in government spending by function between Australia and Colombia?
- 1.4%, with Australia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Colombia?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 2009 to 2023.
- How do Australia and Colombia rank globally for government spending by function?
- Australia ranks 31st and Colombia ranks 34th of 37 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- OECD (2026) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Government spending by function. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
General government expenditure on social protection. This data is divided by total government expenditure, expressed as a percentage.