Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure was 49.2% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
49.2%
Change on year
up 3.0%
World rank
4th
of 191 countries
All-time high
56.7%
in 2004
All-time low
34.7%
in 2014
Years of data
23
2000–2022

Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Saudi Arabia, 2000–2022

02040602000201120222000: 56.62001: 50.42002: 552003: 51.52004: 56.72005: 49.12006: 48.82007: 46.72008: 42.32009: 40.82010: 44.12011: 42.12012: 41.22013: 38.32014: 34.72015: 45.42016: 51.12017: 48.82018: 44.92019: 47.72020: 462021: 47.72022: 49.2

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

Saudi Arabia recorded 49.2% for wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in 2022.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.0% on the previous year and up 19.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in Saudi Arabia peaked at 56.7% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 34.7%, in 2014.

That places Saudi Arabia 4th out of 191 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.

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

Annual values for Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Saudi Arabia, 2000 to 2022.
Year Value Change
2000 56.6%
2001 50.4% -11.0%
2002 55.0% +9.2%
2003 51.5% -6.4%
2004 56.7% +10.1%
2005 49.1% -13.3%
2006 48.8% -0.7%
2007 46.7% -4.3%
2008 42.3% -9.5%
2009 40.8% -3.6%
2010 44.1% +8.1%
2011 42.1% -4.4%
2012 41.2% -2.2%
2013 38.3% -7.0%
2014 34.7% -9.3%
2015 45.4% +30.8%
2016 51.1% +12.4%
2017 48.8% -4.3%
2018 44.9% -8.1%
2019 47.7% +6.2%
2020 46.0% -3.6%
2021 47.7% +3.8%
2022 49.2% +3.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 49.8% 40.8% 56.7% 10
2010s 43.8% 34.7% 51.1% 10
2020s 47.6% 46.0% 49.2% 3

Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia

  1. 1 Libya 75.2% compare
  2. 2 Ethiopia 54.6% compare
  3. 3 Lebanon 52.8% compare
  4. 5 Afghanistan 45.6% compare
  5. 6 Somalia 44.0% compare
  6. 7 Mozambique 43.8% compare

See the full ranking of 191 places →

More reference data data for Saudi Arabia

All data for Saudi Arabia →

Frequently asked questions

What is wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in Saudi Arabia?
Wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in Saudi Arabia was 49.2% in 2022, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure recorded in Saudi Arabia?
The highest recorded value was 56.7% in 2004.
What is the lowest wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure recorded in Saudi Arabia?
The lowest recorded value was 34.7% in 2014.
How does Saudi Arabia rank for wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure?
Saudi Arabia ranks 4th out of 191 countries with data for 2022.
Is wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
Over the last ten years it is up 19.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia. Statizoid. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/wage-bill-as-a-percentage-of-public-expenditure/saudi-arabia/

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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