Government spending by function in Germany
Germany: Government spending by function was 40.6% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Government spending by function in Germany, 2007–2023
Source: OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of government expenditure.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government spending by function in Germany is 40.6%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and down 1.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending by function in Germany peaked at 42.8% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 40.4%, in 2021.
Germany ranks 7th of 37 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 42.1% | 41.6% | 42.6% | 3 |
| 2010s | 41.7% | 40.8% | 42.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 40.9% | 40.4% | 41.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More reference data data for Germany
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.53 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 3.04 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -1.82 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.6168 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.25 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 137.8 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending by function in Germany?
- Government spending by function in Germany was 40.6% in 2023, according to OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest government spending by function recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 42.8% in 2016.
- What is the lowest government spending by function recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.4% in 2021.
- How does Germany rank for government spending by function?
- Germany ranks 7th out of 37 countries with data for 2023.
- Is government spending by function rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Germany data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending by function. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 17 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
General government expenditure on social protection. This data is divided by total government expenditure, expressed as a percentage.