Government spending by function in Norway

Norway: Government spending by function was 37.6% in 2024. ▬ Flat

Latest (2024)
37.6%
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
15th
of 37 countries
All-time high
39.9%
in 2012
All-time low
37.0%
in 2007
Years of data
18
2007–2024

Government spending by function in Norway, 2007–2024

0102030402007201520242007: 37 % of government expenditure2008: 37.5 % of government expenditure2009: 38.4 % of government expenditure2010: 38.9 % of government expenditure2011: 39.3 % of government expenditure2012: 39.9 % of government expenditure2013: 39.7 % of government expenditure2014: 39.4 % of government expenditure2015: 39.6 % of government expenditure2016: 39.8 % of government expenditure2017: 39.4 % of government expenditure2018: 38.9 % of government expenditure2019: 38.3 % of government expenditure2020: 38.1 % of government expenditure2021: 38.5 % of government expenditure2022: 37.4 % of government expenditure2023: 37.4 % of government expenditure2024: 37.6 % of government expenditure

Source: OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of government expenditure.

Analysis

In 2024, government spending by function in Norway stood at 37.6%.

That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and down 4.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government spending by function in Norway peaked at 39.9% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 37.0%, in 2007.

That places Norway 15th out of 37 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 37.6% 37.0% 38.4% 3
2010s 39.3% 38.3% 39.9% 10
2020s 37.8% 37.4% 38.5% 5

Countries ranked near Norway

  1. 12 Sweden 37.8% compare
  2. 13 Belgium 37.7% compare
  3. 14 Netherlands 37.6% compare
  4. 16 Lithuania 37.5% compare
  5. 17 Greece 37.3% compare
  6. 18 Slovenia 36.5% compare

See the full ranking of 37 places →

More reference data data for Norway

All data for Norway →

Frequently asked questions

What is government spending by function in Norway?
Government spending by function in Norway was 37.6% in 2024, according to OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest government spending by function recorded in Norway?
The highest recorded value was 39.9% in 2012.
What is the lowest government spending by function recorded in Norway?
The lowest recorded value was 37.0% in 2007.
How does Norway rank for government spending by function?
Norway ranks 15th out of 37 countries with data for 2024.
Is government spending by function rising or falling in Norway?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Norway 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.

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About this data

Indicator
Government spending by function
Unit
% of government expenditure
Source
OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
37 places, 618 data points, 2007–2024
Last refreshed

General government expenditure on social protection. This data is divided by total government expenditure, expressed as a percentage.