Hungary vs Romania: Public social spending as share of GDP

Hungary
18.0%
in 2024
Romania
17.6%
in 2021
Hungary rank
28th
Romania rank
29th

Public social spending as share of GDP over time

  • Hungary
  • Romania
0510152025199920112024

How they compare

Hungary currently reports 18.0% against 17.6% in Romania, a difference of 0.4%.

Across all 19 years both countries report, Hungary has been ahead every year.

Hungary ranks 28th and Romania ranks 29th of 42 countries.

Hungary has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Hungary Romania Difference Ahead
2000s 22.2% 13.2% 9.0% Hungary
2010s 20.7% 15.4% 5.3% Hungary
2020s 18.7% 17.6% 1.1% Hungary

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher public social spending as share of gdp, Hungary or Romania?
Hungary, at 18.0% against 17.6% in Romania as of 2024.
What is the difference in public social spending as share of gdp between Hungary and Romania?
0.4%, with Hungary ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Hungary and Romania?
19 years are reported by both, from 2003 to 2021.
How do Hungary and Romania rank globally for public social spending as share of gdp?
Hungary ranks 28th and Romania ranks 29th 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 Romania: 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/romania/

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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.