Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Nigeria

Nigeria: Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure was 11.4% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
11.4%
Change on year
down 12.6%
World rank
186th
of 191 countries
All-time high
21.0%
in 2015
All-time low
9.9%
in 2003
Years of data
21
2002–2022

Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Nigeria, 2002–2022

051015202002201220222002: 13.92003: 9.92004: 11.72005: 11.22006: 152007: 12.72008: 16.72009: 13.82010: 152011: 13.82012: 13.82013: 15.32014: 13.62015: 212016: 16.82017: 14.92018: 13.12019: 12.82020: 15.22021: 132022: 11.4

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

In 2022, wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in Nigeria stood at 11.4%.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.6% on the previous year and down 17.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in Nigeria peaked at 21.0% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 9.9%, in 2003.

Nigeria ranks 186th of 191 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.

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

Annual values for Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Nigeria, 2002 to 2022.
Year Value Change
2002 13.9%
2003 9.9% -29.0%
2004 11.7% +18.4%
2005 11.2% -4.1%
2006 15.0% +33.8%
2007 12.7% -14.9%
2008 16.7% +31.6%
2009 13.8% -17.3%
2010 15.0% +8.4%
2011 13.8% -8.0%
2012 13.8% -0.1%
2013 15.3% +11.0%
2014 13.6% -11.3%
2015 21.0% +54.5%
2016 16.8% -19.7%
2017 14.9% -11.7%
2018 13.1% -11.7%
2019 12.8% -2.6%
2020 15.2% +18.5%
2021 13.0% -14.2%
2022 11.4% -12.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 13.1% 9.9% 16.7% 8
2010s 15.0% 12.8% 21.0% 10
2020s 13.2% 11.4% 15.2% 3

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 183 Albania 13.8% compare
  2. 184 Japan 12.6% compare
  3. 185 Timor-Leste 12.3% compare
  4. 187 Bangladesh 10.9% compare
  5. 188 Georgia 10.9% compare
  6. 189 Nepal 10.3% compare

See the full ranking of 191 places →

More reference data data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in Nigeria?
Wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in Nigeria was 11.4% in 2022, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 21.0% in 2015.
What is the lowest wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 9.9% in 2003.
How does Nigeria rank for wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure?
Nigeria ranks 186th out of 191 countries with data for 2022.
Is wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is down 17.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Nigeria 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 Nigeria. Statizoid. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/wage-bill-as-a-percentage-of-public-expenditure/nigeria/

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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