Primary government spending as a share of original budget in Australia

Australia: Primary government spending as a share of original budget was 100.6% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
100.6%
Change on year
up 3.3%
World rank
64th
of 166 countries
All-time high
129.7%
in 2008
All-time low
97.4%
in 2022
Years of data
17
2007–2023

Primary government spending as a share of original budget in Australia, 2007–2023

0501001502007201520232007: 119.8 %2008: 129.7 %2009: 109.6 %2010: 101.1 %2011: 103.3 %2012: 98.7 %2013: 104.9 %2014: 100.7 %2015: 99.8 %2016: 98.8 %2017: 98.4 %2018: 99.5 %2019: 110.5 %2020: 127.9 %2021: 104.7 %2022: 97.4 %2023: 100.6 %

Source: World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2023, primary government spending as a share of original budget in Australia stood at 100.6%.

That represents a change of up 3.3% on the previous year and down 4.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, primary government spending as a share of original budget in Australia peaked at 129.7% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 97.4%, in 2022.

That places Australia 64th out of 166 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.

Primary government spending as a share of original budget in Australia, year by year

Annual values for Primary government spending as a share of original budget in Australia, 2007 to 2023.
Year % Change
2007 119.8%
2008 129.7% +8.2%
2009 109.6% -15.5%
2010 101.1% -7.8%
2011 103.3% +2.2%
2012 98.7% -4.5%
2013 104.9% +6.3%
2014 100.7% -4.0%
2015 99.8% -0.9%
2016 98.8% -1.0%
2017 98.4% -0.3%
2018 99.5% +1.1%
2019 110.5% +11.0%
2020 127.9% +15.8%
2021 104.7% -18.2%
2022 97.4% -7.0%
2023 100.6% +3.3%

Australia compared with similar countries

  • Australia's 100.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 103.6%, 97% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
  • Australia's 100.6% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 96.8%, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 119.7% 109.6% 129.7% 3
2010s 101.6% 98.4% 110.5% 10
2020s 107.7% 97.4% 127.9% 4

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 61 Brazil 100.8% compare
  2. 62 Cote d'Ivoire 100.8% compare
  3. 63 Ecuador 100.7% compare
  4. 65 Chile 100.6% compare
  5. 66 Albania 100.5% compare
  6. 67 Kazakhstan 100.5% compare

See the full ranking of 166 places →

More reference data data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is primary government spending as a share of original budget in Australia?
Primary government spending as a share of original budget in Australia was 100.6% in 2023, according to World Bank – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest primary government spending as a share of original budget recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 129.7% in 2008.
What is the lowest primary government spending as a share of original budget recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 97.4% in 2022.
How does Australia rank for primary government spending as a share of original budget?
Australia ranks 64th out of 166 countries with data for 2023.
Is primary government spending as a share of original budget rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from World Bank – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary government spending as a share of original budget. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Primary government spending as a share of original budget in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/govt-expenditure-share-budget/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Primary government spending as a share of original budget
Unit
%
Source
World Bank – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
166 places, 2,464 data points, 2004–2025
Last refreshed

Primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget (%).