Government spending by function in United States
United States: Government spending by function was 20.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Government spending by function in United States, 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 United States is 20.2%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 7.2% on the previous year and down 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending by function in United States peaked at 26.5% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 17.9%, in 2007.
That places United States 37th out of 37 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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 | 19.1% | 17.9% | 20.0% | 3 |
| 2010s | 20.3% | 19.8% | 20.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.4% | 20.2% | 26.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States
More reference data data for United States
- Spring temperature anomalies 2.51 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.5014 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.0594 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.8696 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.9189 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 143.86 2010 = 100 (2024)
- 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 United States?
- Government spending by function in United States was 20.2% in 2023, according to OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest government spending by function recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 26.5% in 2021.
- What is the lowest government spending by function recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.9% in 2007.
- How does United States rank for government spending by function?
- United States ranks 37th out of 37 countries with data for 2023.
- Is government spending by function rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States 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.