Belgium vs Italy: Government spending by function
Belgium
37.7%
in 2023
Italy
39.3%
in 2023
Belgium rank
13th
Italy rank
10th
Government spending by function over time
- Belgium
- Italy
How they compare
Italy currently reports 39.3% against 37.7% in Belgium, a difference of 1.6%.
Across all 17 years both countries report, Italy has been ahead every year.
Belgium ranks 13th and Italy ranks 10th of 37 countries.
Italy has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | Italy | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 34.7% | 37.8% | 3.0% | Italy |
| 2010s | 35.9% | 41.4% | 5.5% | Italy |
| 2020s | 38.1% | 40.6% | 2.6% | Italy |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending by function, Belgium or Italy?
- Italy, at 39.3% against 37.7% in Belgium as of 2023.
- What is the difference in government spending by function between Belgium and Italy?
- 1.6%, with Italy ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Italy?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2023.
- How do Belgium and Italy rank globally for government spending by function?
- Belgium ranks 13th and Italy ranks 10th 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.