France vs Spain: Government spending by function
France
40.9%
in 2023
Spain
40.7%
in 2023
France rank
5th
Spain rank
6th
Government spending by function over time
- France
- Spain
How they compare
France currently reports 40.9% against 40.7% in Spain, a difference of 0.2%.
Across all 17 years both countries report, France has been ahead every year.
France ranks 5th and Spain ranks 6th of 37 countries.
France has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 40.8% | 33.7% | 7.2% | France |
| 2010s | 42.1% | 38.9% | 3.2% | France |
| 2020s | 41.9% | 40.9% | 1.0% | France |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending by function, France or Spain?
- France, at 40.9% against 40.7% in Spain as of 2023.
- What is the difference in government spending by function between France and Spain?
- 0.2%, with France ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and Spain?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2023.
- How do France and Spain rank globally for government spending by function?
- France ranks 5th and Spain ranks 6th of 37 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- OECD (2026) – 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.