Australia vs Costa Rica: Government spending by function
Australia
26.5%
in 2023
Costa Rica
26.1%
in 2021
Australia rank
31st
Costa Rica rank
33rd
Government spending by function over time
- Australia
- Costa Rica
How they compare
Australia currently reports 26.5% against 26.1% in Costa Rica, a difference of 0.4%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 10 shared years of data; in 2012 it was Australia ahead.
Australia ranks 31st and Costa Rica ranks 33rd of 37 countries.
Across the 2 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 1 and Costa Rica in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | Costa Rica | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 25.9% | 25.3% | 0.6% | Australia |
| 2020s | 25.7% | 26.9% | 1.2% | Costa Rica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending by function, Australia or Costa Rica?
- Australia, at 26.5% against 26.1% in Costa Rica as of 2023.
- What is the difference in government spending by function between Australia and Costa Rica?
- 0.4%, with Australia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Costa Rica?
- 10 years are reported by both, from 2012 to 2021.
- How do Australia and Costa Rica rank globally for government spending by function?
- Australia ranks 31st and Costa Rica ranks 33rd 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.