Government spending by function in Netherlands
Netherlands: Government spending by function was 37.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Government spending by function in Netherlands, 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 Netherlands is 37.6%, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 3.5% on the previous year and up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending by function in Netherlands peaked at 38.9% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 34.1%, in 2008.
That places Netherlands 14th out of 37 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 17 years of available data.
Government spending by function in Netherlands, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 34.2% | — |
| 2008 | 34.1% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 34.6% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 35.1% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 35.8% | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 36.4% | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 37.0% | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 37.3% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 38.0% | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 38.9% | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 38.7% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 38.1% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 38.1% | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 36.2% | -5.0% |
| 2021 | 35.8% | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 36.3% | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 37.6% | +3.5% |
Netherlands compared with similar countries
- Netherlands's 37.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 36.4%, 1.0× the median. (36 countries reporting)
- Netherlands's 37.6% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 37.5%, 1.0× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 34.3% | 34.1% | 34.6% | 3 |
| 2010s | 37.4% | 35.1% | 38.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.5% | 35.8% | 37.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
More reference data data for Netherlands
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.5851 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 3.79 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1102 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 3.79 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 5.83 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 3.59 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 18.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.6002 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending by function in Netherlands?
- Government spending by function in Netherlands was 37.6% in 2023, according to OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest government spending by function recorded in Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 38.9% in 2016.
- What is the lowest government spending by function recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.1% in 2008.
- How does Netherlands rank for government spending by function?
- Netherlands ranks 14th out of 37 countries with data for 2023.
- Is government spending by function rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Netherlands 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.