Austria vs Germany: Government spending by function
Austria
41.3%
in 2024
Germany
40.6%
in 2023
Austria rank
4th
Germany rank
7th
Government spending by function over time
- Austria
- Germany
How they compare
Austria currently reports 41.3% against 40.6% in Germany, a difference of 0.7%.
Across all 17 years both countries report, Germany has been ahead every year.
Austria ranks 4th and Germany ranks 7th of 37 countries.
Germany has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Austria | Germany | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 38.7% | 42.1% | 3.4% | Germany |
| 2010s | 40.9% | 41.7% | 0.9% | Germany |
| 2020s | 40.0% | 40.9% | 0.9% | Germany |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending by function, Austria or Germany?
- Austria, at 41.3% against 40.6% in Germany as of 2024.
- What is the difference in government spending by function between Austria and Germany?
- 0.7%, with Austria ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Austria and Germany?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2023.
- How do Austria and Germany rank globally for government spending by function?
- Austria ranks 4th and Germany ranks 7th 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.