Data / Rankings / Government balance / Countries

Countries by government balance as a share of GDP

Norway had the highest government balance as a share of GDP of 40 countries in 2022, at 24.6% of GDP. Italy had the lowest, at -8.1% of GDP. The median was -2.5% of GDP. Source: the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Highest24.6Norway
Lowest-8.1Italy
Median-2.540 countries

All countries, 2022

Norway: 24.6 % of GDPNorway24.6Denmark: 3.4 % of GDPDenmark3.4Ireland: 1.7 % of GDPIreland1.7Chile: 1.2 % of GDPChile1.2Switzerland: 1.2 % of GDPSwitzerland1.2Sweden: 1 % of GDPSweden1Canada: 0.6 % of GDPCanada0.6Israel: 0.3 % of GDPIsrael0.3Luxembourg: 0.2 % of GDPLuxembourg0.2Netherlands: 0 % of GDPNetherlands0South Korea: -0 % of GDPSouth Korea-0Costa Rica: -0.2 % of GDPCosta Rica-0.2Finland: -0.2 % of GDPFinland-0.2Portugal: -0.3 % of GDPPortugal-0.3Lithuania: -0.7 % of GDPLithuania-0.7Estonia: -0.9 % of GDPEstonia-0.9Slovakia: -1.6 % of GDPSlovakia-1.6Australia: -1.7 % of GDPAustralia-1.7Germany: -1.9 % of GDPGermany-1.9Indonesia: -2.5 % of GDPIndonesia-2.5Greece: -2.6 % of GDPGreece-2.6New Zealand: -3 % of GDPNew Zealand-3Slovenia: -3 % of GDPSlovenia-3Czechia: -3.1 % of GDPCzechia-3.1Poland: -3.4 % of GDPPoland-3.4Austria: -3.4 % of GDPAustria-3.4Belgium: -3.5 % of GDPBelgium-3.5United States: -3.7 % of GDPUnited States-3.7Iceland: -3.8 % of GDPIceland-3.8Japan: -4.2 % of GDPJapan-4.2Mexico: -4.6 % of GDPMexico-4.6China: -4.6 % of GDPChina-4.6Spain: -4.6 % of GDPSpain-4.6United Kingdom: -4.6 % of GDPUnited Kingdom-4.6France: -4.7 % of GDPFrance-4.7Latvia: -4.9 % of GDPLatvia-4.9Colombia: -5 % of GDPColombia-5South Africa: -5.1 % of GDPSouth Africa-5.1Hungary: -6.2 % of GDPHungary-6.2Italy: -8.1 % of GDPItaly-8.1
% of GDP. Source: OECD, OECD National Accounts at a Glance: net lending (+) or net borrowing (-) of general government, percentage of GDP (DSD_NAAG_VI@DF_NAAG_VI, B9S13). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCountries2022
% of GDP		Change on 2021
1Norway24.6+14.7 pts
2Denmark3.4-0.7 pts
3Ireland1.7+2.9 pts
4Chile1.2+8.6 pts
5Switzerland1.2+2.3 pts
6Sweden1+1.2 pts
7Canada0.6+3.7 pts
8Israel0.3+3.7 pts
9Luxembourg0.2-0.9 pts
10Netherlands0+2.3 pts
11South Korea-0+0.3 pts
12Costa Rica Estimated-0.2+1.7 pts
13Finland-0.2+2.5 pts
14Portugal-0.3+2.5 pts
15Lithuania-0.7+0.4 pts
16Estonia-0.9+1.6 pts
17Slovakia-1.6+3.5 pts
18Australia-1.7+2.6 pts
19Germany Estimated-1.9+1.3 pts
20Indonesia-2.5+2.2 pts
21Greece-2.6+4.7 pts
22New Zealand-3+1 pts
23Slovenia-3+1.6 pts
24Czechia-3.1+1.9 pts
25Poland-3.4-1.7 pts
26Austria-3.4+2.3 pts
27Belgium-3.5+1.9 pts
28United States-3.7+8.2 pts
29Iceland-3.8+4.1 pts
30Japan-4.2+2.1 pts
31Mexico-4.6+0.6 pts
32China-4.6-0 pts
33Spain-4.6+2.1 pts
34United Kingdom-4.6+2.9 pts
35France-4.7+1.8 pts
36Latvia-4.9+2.4 pts
37Colombia-5+2.8 pts
38South Africa-5.1+1.6 pts
39Hungary-6.2+0.9 pts
40Italy-8.1+0.8 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

General government net lending (+) or net borrowing (-) as a percentage of GDP.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the countries are compared on one definition. 7 countries with data in other periods have no value for 2022 and are left out rather than filled from another source. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

OECD. OECD National Accounts at a Glance: net lending (+) or net borrowing (-) of general government, percentage of GDP (DSD_NAAG_VI@DF_NAAG_VI, B9S13). https://data-explorer.oecd.org/vis?df[ds]=dsDisseminateFinalDMZ&df[id]=DSD_NAAG_VI%40DF_NAAG_VI&df[ag]=OECD.SDD.NAD. Accessed 2026-10-12. Data reuse terms and downstream attribution: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/terms-conditions.html

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Questions

Which country has the highest government balance as a share of GDP?

Norway, with 24.6% of GDP in 2022, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Which country has the lowest government balance as a share of GDP?

Italy, with -8.1% of GDP in 2022.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD National Accounts at a Glance: net lending (+) or net borrowing (-) of general government, percentage of GDP (DSD_NAAG_VI@DF_NAAG_VI, B9S13). Retrieved 2026-10-12. 7 countries have no value for 2022 and are not ranked.

Government balance: other rankings

Countries: more rankings