Iceland vs United States: Government spending by function
Iceland
23.9%
in 2023
United States
20.2%
in 2023
Iceland rank
36th
United States rank
37th
Government spending by function over time
- Iceland
- United States
How they compare
Iceland currently reports 23.9% against 20.2% in United States, a difference of 3.7%.
That makes Iceland's figure about 1.2 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 17 shared years of data; in 2007 it was Iceland ahead.
Iceland ranks 36th and United States ranks 37th of 37 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Iceland averaged higher in 2 and United States in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iceland | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 17.3% | 19.1% | 1.8% | United States |
| 2010s | 22.5% | 20.3% | 2.2% | Iceland |
| 2020s | 25.3% | 23.4% | 1.8% | Iceland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending by function, Iceland or United States?
- Iceland, at 23.9% against 20.2% in United States as of 2023.
- What is the difference in government spending by function between Iceland and United States?
- 3.7%, with Iceland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and United States?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2023.
- How do Iceland and United States rank globally for government spending by function?
- Iceland ranks 36th and United States ranks 37th 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.