Netherlands vs Portugal: Government spending by function
Netherlands
37.6%
in 2023
Portugal
39.2%
in 2023
Netherlands rank
14th
Portugal rank
11th
Government spending by function over time
- Netherlands
- Portugal
How they compare
Portugal currently reports 39.2% against 37.6% in Netherlands, a difference of 1.6%.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 17 shared years of data; in 2007 it was Netherlands ahead.
Netherlands ranks 14th and Portugal ranks 11th of 37 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Netherlands averaged higher in 1 and Portugal in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Netherlands | Portugal | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 34.3% | 33.7% | 0.5% | Netherlands |
| 2010s | 37.4% | 37.9% | 0.6% | Portugal |
| 2020s | 36.5% | 39.0% | 2.5% | Portugal |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending by function, Netherlands or Portugal?
- Portugal, at 39.2% against 37.6% in Netherlands as of 2023.
- What is the difference in government spending by function between Netherlands and Portugal?
- 1.6%, with Portugal ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Netherlands and Portugal?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2023.
- How do Netherlands and Portugal rank globally for government spending by function?
- Netherlands ranks 14th and Portugal ranks 11th 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.