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Social protection spending as share of total government spending in Denmark

Denmark: Social protection spending as share of total government spending was 41.5% in 2024. ▬ Flat

Latest (2024)
41.5%
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
3rd
of 37 countries
All-time high
43.4%
in 2017
All-time low
41.2%
in 2021
Years of data
18
2007–2024

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

0102030402007201520242007: 42.6 % of government expenditure2008: 42 % of government expenditure2009: 42.2 % of government expenditure2010: 43.2 % of government expenditure2011: 43.2 % of government expenditure2012: 41.8 % of government expenditure2013: 43.4 % of government expenditure2014: 42.9 % of government expenditure2015: 42.6 % of government expenditure2016: 43.2 % of government expenditure2017: 43.4 % of government expenditure2018: 42.5 % of government expenditure2019: 42.9 % of government expenditure2020: 41.5 % of government expenditure2021: 41.2 % of government expenditure2022: 41.5 % of government expenditure2023: 41.5 % of government expenditure2024: 41.5 % 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 Denmark is 41.5%, measured in 2024.

That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 3.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, social protection spending as share of total government spending in Denmark peaked at 43.4% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 41.2%, in 2021.

That places Denmark 3rd out of 37 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 42.3% 42.0% 42.6% 3
2010s 42.9% 41.8% 43.4% 10
2020s 41.4% 41.2% 41.5% 5

Countries ranked near Denmark

  1. 1 Finland 46.0% compare
  2. 2 Luxembourg 42.5% compare
  3. 4 Austria 41.3% compare
  4. 5 France 40.9% compare
  5. 6 Spain 40.7% compare

See the full ranking of 37 places →

More reference data data for Denmark

All data for Denmark →

Frequently asked questions

What is social protection spending as share of total government spending in Denmark?
Social protection spending as share of total government spending in Denmark was 41.5% 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 Denmark?
The highest recorded value was 43.4% in 2017.
What is the lowest social protection spending as share of total government spending recorded in Denmark?
The lowest recorded value was 41.2% in 2021.
How does Denmark rank for social protection spending as share of total government spending?
Denmark ranks 3rd out of 37 countries with data for 2024.
Is social protection spending as share of total government spending rising or falling in Denmark?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Denmark 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.

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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.