Data / Rankings / General government final consumption expenditure, share of GDP / EU countries

EU countries by general government final consumption expenditure, share of GDP

Sweden had the highest general government final consumption expenditure, share of GDP of 27 EU countries in 2020, at 26.6% of GDP. Ireland had the lowest, at 12.6% of GDP. The median was 21.2% of GDP. Source: the World Bank.

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Highest26.6Sweden
Lowest12.6Ireland
Median21.227 EU countries

Map of EU countries, 2020

Austria: 21.3 % of GDPBelgium: 24.2 % of GDPBulgaria: 19.3 % of GDPCyprus: 19.2 % of GDPCzechia: 21.4 % of GDPGermany: 22.3 % of GDPDenmark: 24.8 % of GDPEstonia: 20.6 % of GDPSpain: 21.7 % of GDPFinland: 24.4 % of GDPFrance: 25.3 % of GDPGreece: 22.8 % of GDPCroatia: 24.9 % of GDPHungary: 21.2 % of GDPIreland: 12.6 % of GDPItaly: 20.7 % of GDPLithuania: 18.4 % of GDPLuxembourg: 18.4 % of GDPLatvia: 21 % of GDPMalta: 19.7 % of GDPNetherlands: 25.7 % of GDPPoland: 18.8 % of GDPPortugal: 18.9 % of GDPRomania: 18.9 % of GDPSweden: 26.6 % of GDPSlovenia: 20.7 % of GDPSlovakia: 21.2 % of GDP
  • Under 19
  • 19 to 21
  • 21 to 24
  • 24 and over
% of GDP, 2020. Source: World Bank, General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) (NE.CON.GOVT.ZS). Boundaries: Natural Earth (public domain).

All EU countries, 2020

Sweden: 26.6 % of GDPSweden26.6Netherlands: 25.7 % of GDPNetherlands25.7France: 25.3 % of GDPFrance25.3Croatia: 24.9 % of GDPCroatia24.9Denmark: 24.8 % of GDPDenmark24.8Finland: 24.4 % of GDPFinland24.4Belgium: 24.2 % of GDPBelgium24.2Greece: 22.8 % of GDPGreece22.8Germany: 22.3 % of GDPGermany22.3Spain: 21.7 % of GDPSpain21.7Czechia: 21.4 % of GDPCzechia21.4Austria: 21.3 % of GDPAustria21.3Slovakia: 21.2 % of GDPSlovakia21.2Hungary: 21.2 % of GDPHungary21.2Latvia: 21 % of GDPLatvia21Italy: 20.7 % of GDPItaly20.7Slovenia: 20.7 % of GDPSlovenia20.7Estonia: 20.6 % of GDPEstonia20.6Malta: 19.7 % of GDPMalta19.7Bulgaria: 19.3 % of GDPBulgaria19.3Cyprus: 19.2 % of GDPCyprus19.2Portugal: 18.9 % of GDPPortugal18.9Romania: 18.9 % of GDPRomania18.9Poland: 18.8 % of GDPPoland18.8Luxembourg: 18.4 % of GDPLuxembourg18.4Lithuania: 18.4 % of GDPLithuania18.4Ireland: 12.6 % of GDPIreland12.6Sweden: 26.6 % of GDPSweden26.6Netherlands: 25.7 % of GDPNetherlands25.7France: 25.3 % of GDPFrance25.3Croatia: 24.9 % of GDPCroatia24.9Denmark: 24.8 % of GDPDenmark24.8Finland: 24.4 % of GDPFinland24.4Belgium: 24.2 % of GDPBelgium24.2Greece: 22.8 % of GDPGreece22.8Germany: 22.3 % of GDPGermany22.3Spain: 21.7 % of GDPSpain21.7Czechia: 21.4 % of GDPCzechia21.4Austria: 21.3 % of GDPAustria21.3Slovakia: 21.2 % of GDPSlovakia21.2Hungary: 21.2 % of GDPHungary21.2Latvia: 21 % of GDPLatvia21Italy: 20.7 % of GDPItaly20.7Slovenia: 20.7 % of GDPSlovenia20.7Estonia: 20.6 % of GDPEstonia20.6Malta: 19.7 % of GDPMalta19.7Bulgaria: 19.3 % of GDPBulgaria19.3Cyprus: 19.2 % of GDPCyprus19.2Portugal: 18.9 % of GDPPortugal18.9Romania: 18.9 % of GDPRomania18.9Poland: 18.8 % of GDPPoland18.8Luxembourg: 18.4 % of GDPLuxembourg18.4Lithuania: 18.4 % of GDPLithuania18.4Ireland: 12.6 % of GDPIreland12.6
% of GDP. Source: World Bank, General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) (NE.CON.GOVT.ZS). Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Full ranking

RankEU countries2020
% of GDP		Change on 2019
1Sweden26.6+0.7 pts
2Netherlands25.7+1.3 pts
3France25.3+1.8 pts
4Croatia24.9+3.2 pts
5Denmark24.8+0.5 pts
6Finland24.4+1 pts
7Belgium24.2+1.3 pts
8Greece22.8+2.8 pts
9Germany22.3+2 pts
10Spain21.7+3.1 pts
11Czechia21.4+2.1 pts
12Austria21.3+1.6 pts
13Slovakia21.2+1.2 pts
14Hungary21.2+1.2 pts
15Latvia21+1.5 pts
16Italy20.7+2 pts
17Slovenia20.7+2.2 pts
18Estonia20.6+1.5 pts
19Malta19.7+2.8 pts
20Bulgaria19.3+2.5 pts
21Cyprus19.2+3.2 pts
22Portugal18.9+1.9 pts
23Romania18.9+1.3 pts
24Poland18.8+1 pts
25Luxembourg18.4+1.2 pts
26Lithuania18.4+1.6 pts
27Ireland12.6+0.8 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Government current spending on goods and services, including the pay of public employees and most defence spending, as a percentage of GDP. Government investment and transfers such as pensions are not included. World Bank national accounts data, compiled from national statistical offices and central banks and from OECD national accounts files.

Much smaller than total government spending, which also counts investment, interest and social transfers. Current prices, so the share moves with relative prices as well as volumes. Countries that rebase their national accounts can shift it by several points. The latest year varies by country.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the EU countries are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

World Bank, World Development Indicators. General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) (NE.CON.GOVT.ZS). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.CON.GOVT.ZS. Retrieved 2026-10-18. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

World Bank. (2026). General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) (NE.CON.GOVT.ZS) (EU countries by general government final consumption expenditure, share of GDP, 2020) [Data set]. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.CON.GOVT.ZS

MLA 9

General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) (NE.CON.GOVT.ZS), EU countries by general government final consumption expenditure, share of GDP, 2020. World Bank, 8 Oct. 2026, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.CON.GOVT.ZS. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/government-consumption-gdp/eu-countries?period=2020. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

World Bank. 2026. General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) (NE.CON.GOVT.ZS). EU countries by general government final consumption expenditure, share of GDP, 2020. Dataset. Accessed October 18, 2026. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.CON.GOVT.ZS. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/government-consumption-gdp/eu-countries?period=2020.

Harvard

World Bank (2026) General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) (NE.CON.GOVT.ZS), EU countries by general government final consumption expenditure, share of GDP, 2020 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.CON.GOVT.ZS, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/government-consumption-gdp/eu-countries?period=2020 (Accessed: 18 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{world_eu_countries_by_general_2020,
  author = {{World Bank}},
  title = {{General government final consumption expenditure (\% of GDP) (NE.CON.GOVT.ZS): EU countries by general government final consumption expenditure, share of GDP, 2020}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.CON.GOVT.ZS},
  urldate = {2026-10-18},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/government-consumption-gdp/eu-countries?period=2020. Publisher attribution: World Bank, World Development Indicators. General government final consumption expenditure (\% of GDP) (NE.CON.GOVT.ZS). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.CON.GOVT.ZS. Retrieved 2026-10-18. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - World Bank
TI  - General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) (NE.CON.GOVT.ZS): EU countries by general government final consumption expenditure, share of GDP, 2020
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/08
PB  - World Bank
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.CON.GOVT.ZS
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/government-consumption-gdp/eu-countries?period=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/18
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/government-consumption-gdp/eu-countries?period=2020.
N1  - Publisher attribution: World Bank, World Development Indicators. General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) (NE.CON.GOVT.ZS). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.CON.GOVT.ZS. Retrieved 2026-10-18. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
ER  -
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Questions

Which EU country has the highest general government final consumption expenditure, share of GDP?

Sweden, with 26.6% of GDP in 2020, according to the World Bank.

Which EU country has the lowest general government final consumption expenditure, share of GDP?

Ireland, with 12.6% of GDP in 2020.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: World Bank, General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) (NE.CON.GOVT.ZS). Retrieved 2026-10-18.

General government final consumption expenditure, share of GDP: other rankings

EU countries: more rankings