Australia vs South Korea: Government spending by function
Australia
26.5%
in 2023
South Korea
26.2%
in 2023
Australia rank
31st
South Korea rank
32nd
Government spending by function over time
- Australia
- South Korea
How they compare
Australia currently reports 26.5% against 26.2% in South Korea, a difference of 0.3%.
Across all 17 years both countries report, Australia has been ahead every year.
Australia ranks 31st and South Korea ranks 32nd of 37 countries.
Australia has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 27.1% | 16.8% | 10.3% | Australia |
| 2010s | 25.8% | 21.0% | 4.8% | Australia |
| 2020s | 25.8% | 24.8% | 1.0% | Australia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending by function, Australia or South Korea?
- Australia, at 26.5% against 26.2% in South Korea as of 2023.
- What is the difference in government spending by function between Australia and South Korea?
- 0.3%, with Australia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and South Korea?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2023.
- How do Australia and South Korea rank globally for government spending by function?
- Australia ranks 31st and South Korea ranks 32nd 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.