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Social protection spending as share of total government spending in Germany

Germany: Social protection spending as share of total government spending was 40.6% in 2023. ▬ Flat

Latest (2023)
40.6%
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
7th
of 37 countries
All-time high
42.8%
in 2016
All-time low
40.4%
in 2021
Years of data
17
2007–2023

Social protection spending as share of total government spending in Germany, 2007–2023

0102030402007201520232007: 42.6 % of government expenditure2008: 41.6 % of government expenditure2009: 42 % of government expenditure2010: 40.8 % of government expenditure2011: 40.9 % of government expenditure2012: 41 % of government expenditure2013: 41.1 % of government expenditure2014: 41.4 % of government expenditure2015: 42.1 % of government expenditure2016: 42.8 % of government expenditure2017: 42.7 % of government expenditure2018: 42.3 % of government expenditure2019: 42.2 % of government expenditure2020: 41.9 % of government expenditure2021: 40.4 % of government expenditure2022: 40.8 % of government expenditure2023: 40.6 % of government expenditure

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

Analysis

Germany recorded 40.6% for social protection spending as share of total government spending in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 1.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, social protection spending as share of total government spending in Germany peaked at 42.8% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 40.4%, in 2021.

Germany ranks 7th of 37 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 42.1% 41.6% 42.6% 3
2010s 41.7% 40.8% 42.8% 10
2020s 40.9% 40.4% 41.9% 4

Countries ranked near Germany

  1. 4 Austria 41.3% compare
  2. 5 France 40.9% compare
  3. 6 Spain 40.7% compare
  4. 8 Japan 39.9% compare
  5. 9 Switzerland 39.3% compare
  6. 10 Italy 39.3% compare

See the full ranking of 37 places →

More reference data data for Germany

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is social protection spending as share of total government spending in Germany?
Social protection spending as share of total government spending in Germany was 40.6% in 2023, 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 Germany?
The highest recorded value was 42.8% in 2016.
What is the lowest social protection spending as share of total government spending recorded in Germany?
The lowest recorded value was 40.4% in 2021.
How does Germany rank for social protection spending as share of total government spending?
Germany ranks 7th out of 37 countries with data for 2023.
Is social protection spending as share of total government spending rising or falling in Germany?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Germany 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.