Norway vs Sweden: Government spending by function
Norway
37.6%
in 2024
Sweden
37.8%
in 2023
Norway rank
15th
Sweden rank
12th
Government spending by function over time
- Norway
- Sweden
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 37.8% against 37.6% in Norway, a difference of 0.2%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 17 shared years of data; in 2007 it was Sweden ahead.
Norway ranks 15th and Sweden ranks 12th of 37 countries.
Sweden has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Norway | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 37.6% | 41.4% | 3.8% | Sweden |
| 2010s | 39.3% | 40.9% | 1.6% | Sweden |
| 2020s | 37.8% | 38.3% | 0.4% | Sweden |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending by function, Norway or Sweden?
- Sweden, at 37.8% against 37.6% in Norway as of 2023.
- What is the difference in government spending by function between Norway and Sweden?
- 0.2%, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and Sweden?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2023.
- How do Norway and Sweden rank globally for government spending by function?
- Norway ranks 15th and Sweden ranks 12th 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.