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Social protection spending as share of total government spending in Austria

Austria: Social protection spending as share of total government spending was 41.3% in 2024. ▬ Flat

Latest (2024)
41.3%
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
4th
of 37 countries
All-time high
41.7%
in 2016
All-time low
38.6%
in 2008
Years of data
18
2007–2024

Social protection spending as share of total government spending in Austria, 2007–2024

0102030402007201520242007: 38.8 % of government expenditure2008: 38.6 % of government expenditure2009: 38.7 % of government expenditure2010: 39.9 % of government expenditure2011: 40 % of government expenditure2012: 40.2 % of government expenditure2013: 40.5 % of government expenditure2014: 40.8 % of government expenditure2015: 41.5 % of government expenditure2016: 41.7 % of government expenditure2017: 41.6 % of government expenditure2018: 41.2 % of government expenditure2019: 41.3 % of government expenditure2020: 39.8 % of government expenditure2021: 39.1 % of government expenditure2022: 40.6 % of government expenditure2023: 40.6 % of government expenditure2024: 41.3 % of government expenditure

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for social protection spending as share of total government spending in Austria is 41.3%, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 1.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, social protection spending as share of total government spending in Austria peaked at 41.7% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 38.6%, in 2008.

That places Austria 4th out of 37 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 38.7% 38.6% 38.8% 3
2010s 40.9% 39.9% 41.7% 10
2020s 40.3% 39.1% 41.3% 5

Countries ranked near Austria

  1. 1 Finland 46.0% compare
  2. 2 Luxembourg 42.5% compare
  3. 3 Denmark 41.5% compare
  4. 5 France 40.9% compare
  5. 6 Spain 40.7% compare
  6. 7 Germany 40.6% compare

See the full ranking of 37 places →

More reference data data for Austria

All data for Austria →

Frequently asked questions

What is social protection spending as share of total government spending in Austria?
Social protection spending as share of total government spending in Austria was 41.3% in 2024, according to OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest social protection spending as share of total government spending recorded in Austria?
The highest recorded value was 41.7% in 2016.
What is the lowest social protection spending as share of total government spending recorded in Austria?
The lowest recorded value was 38.6% in 2008.
How does Austria rank for social protection spending as share of total government spending?
Austria ranks 4th out of 37 countries with data for 2024.
Is social protection spending as share of total government spending rising or falling in Austria?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Austria data come from?
The figures come from OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Social protection spending as share of total government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 18 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Social protection spending as share of total government spending
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.