Government spending by function in South Korea
South Korea: Government spending by function was 26.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Government spending by function in South Korea, 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 South Korea is 26.2%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 17 years on record.
The figure is up 7.4% on the previous year and up 27.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending by function in South Korea peaked at 26.2% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 16.6%, in 2007.
South Korea ranks 32nd of 37 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 17 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16.8% | 16.6% | 17.1% | 3 |
| 2010s | 21.0% | 17.8% | 22.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.8% | 24.1% | 26.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More reference data data for South Korea
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.1 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.7164 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.8996 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 2.24 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.9115 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 135 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 South Korea?
- Government spending by function in South Korea was 26.2% in 2023, according to OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest government spending by function recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 26.2% in 2023.
- What is the lowest government spending by function recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.6% in 2007.
- How does South Korea rank for government spending by function?
- South Korea ranks 32nd out of 37 countries with data for 2023.
- Is government spending by function rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea 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.