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Government spending by function in Portugal

Portugal: Government spending by function was 39.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
39.2%
Change on year
down 1.7%
World rank
11th
of 37 countries
All-time high
40.4%
in 2016
All-time low
33.5%
in 2007
Years of data
17
2007–2023

Government spending by function in Portugal, 2007–2023

0102030402007201520232007: 33.5 % of government expenditure2008: 33.5 % of government expenditure2009: 34.3 % of government expenditure2010: 33.5 % of government expenditure2011: 35.9 % of government expenditure2012: 37.8 % of government expenditure2013: 39 % of government expenditure2014: 36.9 % of government expenditure2015: 38.5 % of government expenditure2016: 40.4 % of government expenditure2017: 38.1 % of government expenditure2018: 39.3 % of government expenditure2019: 39.9 % of government expenditure2020: 38.6 % of government expenditure2021: 38.3 % of government expenditure2022: 39.8 % of government expenditure2023: 39.2 % of government expenditure

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

Analysis

Portugal recorded 39.2% for government spending by function in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.7% on the previous year and up 0.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government spending by function in Portugal peaked at 40.4% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 33.5%, in 2007.

That places Portugal 11th 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 33.7% 33.5% 34.3% 3
2010s 37.9% 33.5% 40.4% 10
2020s 39.0% 38.3% 39.8% 4

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 8 Japan 39.9% compare
  2. 9 Switzerland 39.3% compare
  3. 10 Italy 39.3% compare
  4. 12 Sweden 37.8% compare
  5. 13 Belgium 37.7% compare
  6. 14 Netherlands 37.6% compare

See the full ranking of 37 places →

More reference data data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is government spending by function in Portugal?
Government spending by function in Portugal was 39.2% in 2023, according to OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest government spending by function recorded in Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 40.4% in 2016.
What is the lowest government spending by function recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 33.5% in 2007.
How does Portugal rank for government spending by function?
Portugal ranks 11th out of 37 countries with data for 2023.
Is government spending by function rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Portugal 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

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.