Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Hong Kong

Hong Kong: Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure was 15.1% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
15.1%
Change on year
down 27.9%
World rank
181st
of 191 countries
All-time high
29.5%
in 2002
All-time low
15.1%
in 2020
Years of data
19
2002–2020

Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Hong Kong, 2002–2020

01020302002201120202002: 29.52003: 27.82004: 26.42005: 26.92006: 28.22007: 28.62008: 22.72009: 24.42010: 23.82011: 21.72012: 22.62013: 20.52014: 23.62015: 22.62016: 22.52017: 22.82018: 21.42019: 212020: 15.1

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

The most recent figure for wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in Hong Kong is 15.1%, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 19 years on record.

The figure is down 27.9% on the previous year and down 36.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in Hong Kong peaked at 29.5% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 15.1%, in 2020.

Hong Kong ranks 181st of 191 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 19 years of available data.

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

Annual values for Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Hong Kong, 2002 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2002 29.5%
2003 27.8% -5.9%
2004 26.4% -4.9%
2005 26.9% +1.7%
2006 28.2% +4.7%
2007 28.6% +1.4%
2008 22.7% -20.6%
2009 24.4% +7.5%
2010 23.8% -2.5%
2011 21.7% -8.9%
2012 22.6% +4.2%
2013 20.5% -9.2%
2014 23.6% +15.2%
2015 22.6% -4.4%
2016 22.5% -0.4%
2017 22.8% +1.2%
2018 21.4% -6.0%
2019 21.0% -1.9%
2020 15.1% -27.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 26.8% 22.7% 29.5% 8
2010s 22.2% 20.5% 23.8% 10
2020s 15.1% 15.1% 15.1% 1

Countries ranked near Hong Kong

  1. 178 Niger 15.7% compare
  2. 179 South Sudan 15.4% compare
  3. 180 Colombia 15.3% compare
  4. 182 Uruguay 15.1% compare
  5. 183 Albania 13.8% compare
  6. 184 Japan 12.6% compare

See the full ranking of 191 places →

More reference data data for Hong Kong

All data for Hong Kong →

Frequently asked questions

What is wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in Hong Kong?
Wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in Hong Kong was 15.1% in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure recorded in Hong Kong?
The highest recorded value was 29.5% in 2002.
What is the lowest wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure recorded in Hong Kong?
The lowest recorded value was 15.1% in 2020.
How does Hong Kong rank for wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure?
Hong Kong ranks 181st out of 191 countries with data for 2020.
Is wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure rising or falling in Hong Kong?
Over the last ten years it is down 36.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Hong Kong 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 Hong Kong. Statizoid. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/wage-bill-as-a-percentage-of-public-expenditure/hong-kong-sar-china/

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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