New Zealand vs Portugal: Employee compensation as share of government spending
New Zealand
21.5%
in 2022
Portugal
21.1%
in 2023
New Zealand rank
91st
Portugal rank
93rd
Employee compensation as share of government spending over time
- New Zealand
- Portugal
How they compare
New Zealand currently reports 21.5% against 21.1% in Portugal, a difference of 0.4%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1978 it was Portugal ahead.
New Zealand ranks 91st and Portugal ranks 93rd of 155 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, New Zealand averaged higher in 2 and Portugal in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | New Zealand | Portugal | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 21.9% | 26.2% | 4.3% | Portugal |
| 1980s | 19.0% | 22.3% | 3.3% | Portugal |
| 2000s | 25.5% | 28.9% | 3.3% | Portugal |
| 2010s | 23.9% | 21.6% | 2.3% | New Zealand |
| 2020s | 22.2% | 21.0% | 1.2% | New Zealand |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher employee compensation as share of government spending, New Zealand or Portugal?
- New Zealand, at 21.5% against 21.1% in Portugal as of 2022.
- What is the difference in employee compensation as share of government spending between New Zealand and Portugal?
- 0.4%, with New Zealand ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for New Zealand and Portugal?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1978 to 2022.
- How do New Zealand and Portugal rank globally for employee compensation as share of government spending?
- New Zealand ranks 91st and Portugal ranks 93rd of 155 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Employee compensation as share of government spending. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Employee compensation includes wages, in-kind payments, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions.