Public social spending as share of GDP in Mexico
Mexico: Public social spending as share of GDP was 10.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Public social spending as share of GDP in Mexico, 1985–2023
Source: OECD (2025); OECD (1985); Lindert (2004) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for public social spending as share of gdp in Mexico is 10.0%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.9% on the previous year and up 38.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, public social spending as share of gdp in Mexico peaked at 10.0% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 1987.
Mexico ranks 41st of 42 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
Public social spending as share of GDP in Mexico, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1.9% | — |
| 1986 | 1.7% | -8.4% |
| 1987 | 1.6% | -3.4% |
| 1988 | 1.8% | +11.3% |
| 1989 | 2.3% | +28.2% |
| 1990 | 3.0% | +27.5% |
| 1991 | 3.4% | +12.3% |
| 1992 | 3.7% | +9.3% |
| 1993 | 3.6% | -2.5% |
| 1994 | 3.9% | +9.5% |
| 1995 | 3.5% | -10.9% |
| 1996 | 3.2% | -8.1% |
| 1997 | 3.2% | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 3.6% | +10.8% |
| 1999 | 4.1% | +13.3% |
| 2000 | 4.2% | +2.8% |
| 2001 | 4.7% | +13.3% |
| 2002 | 5.1% | +7.3% |
| 2003 | 5.7% | +12.6% |
| 2004 | 5.7% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 5.9% | +3.4% |
| 2006 | 6.0% | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 6.0% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 6.4% | +7.2% |
| 2009 | 6.9% | +8.1% |
| 2010 | 7.0% | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 6.9% | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 6.9% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 7.3% | +5.0% |
| 2014 | 7.3% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 7.4% | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 7.3% | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 7.2% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 7.1% | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 7.7% | +8.7% |
| 2020 | 9.8% | +27.8% |
| 2021 | 9.5% | -3.3% |
| 2022 | 9.7% | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 10.0% | +3.9% |
Mexico compared with similar countries
- Mexico's 10.0% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 12.6%, 79% of the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.9% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 5 |
| 1990s | 3.5% | 3.0% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.7% | 4.2% | 6.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.2% | 6.9% | 7.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.7% | 9.5% | 10.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Mexico
More reference data data for Mexico
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 4.11 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 16.66 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 32.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.75 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 32.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 13.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 7.36 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 84.69 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 157.18 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 9.55 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is public social spending as share of gdp in Mexico?
- Public social spending as share of gdp in Mexico was 10.0% in 2023, according to OECD (2025); OECD (1985); Lindert (2004) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest public social spending as share of gdp recorded in Mexico?
- The highest recorded value was 10.0% in 2023.
- What is the lowest public social spending as share of gdp recorded in Mexico?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 1987.
- How does Mexico rank for public social spending as share of gdp?
- Mexico ranks 41st out of 42 countries with data for 2023.
- Is public social spending as share of gdp rising or falling in Mexico?
- Over the last ten years it is up 38.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mexico data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2025); OECD (1985); Lindert (2004) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Public social spending as share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Public social expenditure divided bt gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.