Hungary vs Iceland: Public social spending as share of GDP

Hungary
18.0%
in 2024
Iceland
19.2%
in 2024
Hungary rank
28th
Iceland rank
26th

Public social spending as share of GDP over time

  • Hungary
  • Iceland
0510152025199020072024

How they compare

Iceland currently reports 19.2% against 18.0% in Hungary, a difference of 1.2%.

That makes Iceland's figure about 1.1 times Hungary's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 26 shared years of data; in 1999 it was Hungary ahead.

Hungary ranks 28th and Iceland ranks 26th of 42 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Hungary averaged higher in 3 and Iceland in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Hungary Iceland Difference Ahead
1990s 20.8% 14.4% 6.4% Hungary
2000s 21.6% 15.9% 5.7% Hungary
2010s 20.7% 17.6% 3.1% Hungary
2020s 18.2% 20.6% 2.4% Iceland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher public social spending as share of gdp, Hungary or Iceland?
Iceland, at 19.2% against 18.0% in Hungary as of 2024.
What is the difference in public social spending as share of gdp between Hungary and Iceland?
1.2%, with Iceland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Hungary and Iceland?
26 years are reported by both, from 1999 to 2024.
How do Hungary and Iceland rank globally for public social spending as share of gdp?
Hungary ranks 28th and Iceland ranks 26th of 42 countries.
Where does this data come from?
OECD (2025); OECD (1985); Lindert (2004) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Public social spending as share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Hungary vs Iceland: Public social spending as share of GDP. Statizoid, drawing on OECD (2025); OECD (1985); Lindert (2004) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/social-spending-oecd-longrun/hungary/iceland/

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About this data

Indicator
Public social spending as share of GDP
Unit
% of GDP
Source
OECD (2025); OECD (1985); Lindert (2004) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
42 places, 1,937 data points, 1880–2024
Last refreshed

Public social expenditure divided bt gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.