Denmark vs Spain: Government spending by function
Denmark
41.5%
in 2024
Spain
40.7%
in 2023
Denmark rank
3rd
Spain rank
6th
Government spending by function over time
- Denmark
- Spain
How they compare
Denmark currently reports 41.5% against 40.7% in Spain, a difference of 0.8%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 17 shared years of data; in 2007 it was Denmark ahead.
Denmark ranks 3rd and Spain ranks 6th of 37 countries.
Denmark has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Denmark | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 42.3% | 33.7% | 8.6% | Denmark |
| 2010s | 42.9% | 38.9% | 4.0% | Denmark |
| 2020s | 41.4% | 40.9% | 0.5% | Denmark |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending by function, Denmark or Spain?
- Denmark, at 41.5% against 40.7% in Spain as of 2024.
- What is the difference in government spending by function between Denmark and Spain?
- 0.8%, with Denmark ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Denmark and Spain?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2023.
- How do Denmark and Spain rank globally for government spending by function?
- Denmark ranks 3rd and Spain ranks 6th 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.