Public social spending as share of GDP in United States
United States: Public social spending as share of GDP was 19.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Public social spending as share of GDP in United States, 1880–2024
Source: OECD (2025); OECD (1985); Lindert (2004) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2024, public social spending as share of gdp in United States stood at 19.8%.
That represents a change of up 4.6% on the previous year and up 7.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, public social spending as share of gdp in United States peaked at 23.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 1880.
United States ranks 22nd of 42 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 71 years of available data.
Public social spending as share of GDP in United States, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 0.3% | — |
| 1890 | 0.5% | +55.2% |
| 1900 | 0.6% | +22.2% |
| 1910 | 0.6% | +1.8% |
| 1920 | 0.7% | +25.0% |
| 1930 | 0.6% | -20.0% |
| 1960 | 6.2% | +1009.8% |
| 1961 | 6.8% | +9.2% |
| 1962 | 6.8% | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 6.8% | -0.4% |
| 1964 | 6.7% | -1.3% |
| 1965 | 6.7% | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 6.8% | +1.7% |
| 1967 | 7.5% | +9.9% |
| 1968 | 7.9% | +4.9% |
| 1969 | 8.0% | +1.2% |
| 1970 | 8.9% | +11.3% |
| 1971 | 9.6% | +8.1% |
| 1972 | 9.7% | +1.5% |
| 1973 | 9.9% | +2.0% |
| 1974 | 10.9% | +9.8% |
| 1975 | 12.4% | +13.7% |
| 1976 | 12.3% | -1.2% |
| 1977 | 12.0% | -1.9% |
| 1978 | 11.7% | -3.0% |
| 1979 | 11.8% | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 12.9% | +8.9% |
| 1981 | 13.2% | +2.6% |
| 1982 | 13.6% | +3.2% |
| 1983 | 13.8% | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 12.9% | -6.4% |
| 1985 | 12.6% | -2.4% |
| 1986 | 12.9% | +2.7% |
| 1987 | 12.9% | -0.3% |
| 1988 | 12.8% | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 12.8% | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 13.2% | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 14.2% | +7.3% |
| 1992 | 14.8% | +4.8% |
| 1993 | 15.1% | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 15.1% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 14.9% | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 14.7% | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 14.3% | -2.8% |
| 1998 | 14.4% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 14.1% | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 14.1% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 14.7% | +4.1% |
| 2002 | 15.5% | +5.7% |
| 2003 | 15.8% | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 15.7% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 15.5% | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 15.5% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 15.7% | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 16.3% | +3.7% |
| 2009 | 18.3% | +12.7% |
| 2010 | 19.0% | +4.0% |
| 2011 | 18.7% | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 18.5% | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 18.4% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 18.4% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 18.5% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 18.6% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 18.4% | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 18.2% | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 18.2% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 23.7% | +30.1% |
| 2021 | 21.6% | -8.7% |
| 2022 | 19.0% | -12.2% |
| 2023 | 19.0% | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 19.8% | +4.6% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 19.8% is below the median for high income countries, which is 22.3%, 89% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Public social spending as share of GDP in United States changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | +1009.8% | 0.6% | 6.2% |
| 1890 | +55.2% | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| 2020 | +30.1% | 18.2% | 23.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1890s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1900s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1910s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1920s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
| 1930s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1960s | 7.0% | 6.2% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 10.9% | 8.9% | 12.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.0% | 12.6% | 13.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.5% | 13.2% | 15.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.7% | 14.1% | 18.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.5% | 18.2% | 19.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.6% | 19.0% | 23.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
More reference data data for United States
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 19.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 24.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 20.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 64.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 52.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 133.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 589.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 112.69 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is public social spending as share of gdp in United States?
- Public social spending as share of gdp in United States was 19.8% in 2024, 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 United States?
- The highest recorded value was 23.7% in 2020.
- What is the lowest public social spending as share of gdp recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 1880.
- How does United States rank for public social spending as share of gdp?
- United States ranks 22nd out of 42 countries with data for 2024.
- Is public social spending as share of gdp rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States 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.