Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure was 45.6% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
45.6%
Change on year
down 5.0%
World rank
5th
of 191 countries
All-time high
57.1%
in 2011
All-time low
34.3%
in 2007
Years of data
18
2003–2020

Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Afghanistan, 2003–2020

02040602003201120202003: 532004: 48.32005: 42.12006: 38.62007: 34.32008: 39.42009: 44.52010: 54.32011: 57.12012: 51.62013: 502014: 502015: 47.82016: 482017: 48.92018: 47.82019: 482020: 45.6

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

The most recent figure for wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in Afghanistan is 45.6%, measured in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.0% on the previous year and down 16.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in Afghanistan peaked at 57.1% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 34.3%, in 2007.

That places Afghanistan 5th out of 191 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.

Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Afghanistan, year by year

Annual values for Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Afghanistan, 2003 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2003 53.0%
2004 48.3% -8.8%
2005 42.1% -12.9%
2006 38.6% -8.3%
2007 34.3% -11.3%
2008 39.4% +15.0%
2009 44.5% +13.0%
2010 54.3% +21.8%
2011 57.1% +5.2%
2012 51.6% -9.5%
2013 50.0% -3.2%
2014 50.0% -0.1%
2015 47.8% -4.3%
2016 48.0% +0.3%
2017 48.9% +1.8%
2018 47.8% -2.2%
2019 48.0% +0.4%
2020 45.6% -5.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 42.9% 34.3% 53.0% 7
2010s 50.3% 47.8% 57.1% 10
2020s 45.6% 45.6% 45.6% 1

Countries ranked near Afghanistan

  1. 2 Ethiopia 54.6% compare
  2. 3 Lebanon 52.8% compare
  3. 4 Saudi Arabia 49.2% compare
  4. 6 Somalia 44.0% compare
  5. 7 Mozambique 43.8% compare
  6. 8 Eritrea 43.3% compare

See the full ranking of 191 places →

More reference data data for Afghanistan

All data for Afghanistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in Afghanistan?
Wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in Afghanistan was 45.6% in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure recorded in Afghanistan?
The highest recorded value was 57.1% in 2011.
What is the lowest wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure recorded in Afghanistan?
The lowest recorded value was 34.3% in 2007.
How does Afghanistan rank for wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure?
Afghanistan ranks 5th out of 191 countries with data for 2020.
Is wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure rising or falling in Afghanistan?
Over the last ten years it is down 16.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Afghanistan. Statizoid. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/wage-bill-as-a-percentage-of-public-expenditure/afghanistan/

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About this data

Indicator
Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
191 places, 4,119 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed