Public sector employment as a share of total employment by country
Countries reporting
79
Highest
47.1
Maldives
Lowest
1.97
Niger
Median
19.46
Years covered
23
2000–2022
Data points
1,004
What the numbers show
Public sector employment as a share of total employment is currently reported for 79 countries. The highest value is 47.1 in Maldives; the lowest is 1.97 in Niger.
The median across all reporting countries is 19.46, and the mean is 18.72.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 24.
Over the past decade 45 countries rose and 32 fell. The largest increase was in Chile (up 139.8%), and the largest decrease in Ethiopia (down 70.3%).
Public sector employment as a share of total employment: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maldives | 47.1 | 2019 | up 38.1% | rising |
| 2 | Russia | 44.93 | 2016 | up 0.0% | flat |
| 3 | Ukraine | 38.67 | 2013 | down 16.1% | falling |
| 4 | Belgium | 35.78 | 2020 | up 6.1% | falling |
| 5 | Denmark | 32.52 | 2020 | — | falling |
| 6 | Luxembourg | 31.54 | 2020 | up 26.8% | rising |
| 7 | Moldova | 30.29 | 2015 | down 0.5% | flat |
| 8 | Iceland | 29.91 | 2013 | down 4.1% | flat |
| 9 | Ireland | 29.33 | 2020 | up 9.5% | flat |
| 10 | France | 28.94 | 2020 | down 9.0% | falling |
| 11 | United Kingdom | 28.87 | 2018 | down 2.4% | falling |
| 12 | Malta | 28.6 | 2020 | up 11.8% | rising |
| 13 | Finland | 27.82 | 2020 | up 6.8% | flat |
| 14 | Switzerland | 27.51 | 2020 | up 16.0% | rising |
| 15 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 27.38 | 2019 | down 16.0% | falling |
| 16 | Mongolia | 27.09 | 2021 | down 13.0% | rising |
| 17 | Portugal | 26.92 | 2020 | up 25.3% | rising |
| 18 | Austria | 25.62 | 2020 | up 13.1% | rising |
| 19 | Spain | 24.81 | 2020 | up 9.4% | rising |
| 20 | Hungary | 24.68 | 2020 | up 7.9% | falling |
| 21 | Lithuania | 24.43 | 2020 | down 5.9% | falling |
| 22 | Latvia | 23.59 | 2020 | down 1.1% | flat |
| 23 | Slovakia | 23.49 | 2020 | down 8.8% | falling |
| 24 | Palestine | 23.48 | 2017 | down 14.0% | falling |
| 25 | Greece | 23.43 | 2020 | up 6.3% | rising |
| 26 | Jordan | 23.19 | 2016 | down 30.3% | falling |
| 27 | Tunisia | 22.81 | 2015 | up 13.0% | falling |
| 28 | Slovenia | 22.7 | 2020 | up 4.8% | falling |
| 29 | Armenia | 22.04 | 2021 | down 12.2% | falling |
| 30 | Estonia | 21.91 | 2020 | down 7.9% | falling |
| 31 | Egypt | 21.77 | 2019 | down 14.4% | rising |
| 32 | Croatia | 20.57 | 2020 | up 11.9% | rising |
| 33 | Czechia | 20.56 | 2020 | up 11.7% | falling |
| 34 | Poland | 20.5 | 2020 | up 7.2% | falling |
| 35 | Cyprus | 20.36 | 2020 | up 0.9% | flat |
| 36 | Namibia | 20.21 | 2015 | down 28.3% | falling |
| 37 | Australia | 20.01 | 2015 | down 24.5% | falling |
| 38 | Albania | 19.96 | 2012 | up 41.5% | rising |
| 39 | Italy | 19.54 | 2020 | up 4.8% | falling |
| 40 | South Africa | 19.46 | 2020 | up 17.3% | rising |
| 41 | Argentina | 18.88 | 2021 | up 13.2% | flat |
| 42 | Mauritius | 18.29 | 2017 | down 1.2% | rising |
| 43 | Panama | 17.98 | 2021 | up 12.1% | flat |
| 44 | Bulgaria | 17.75 | 2019 | up 9.5% | falling |
| 45 | Serbia | 17.67 | 2020 | down 10.8% | falling |
| 46 | Uruguay | 16.99 | 2020 | up 18.7% | falling |
| 47 | Venezuela | 16.77 | 2006 | up 13.6% | rising |
| 48 | Dominican Republic | 16.54 | 2019 | up 55.1% | rising |
| 49 | Turkey | 16.03 | 2019 | up 26.9% | rising |
| 50 | Vietnam | 15.81 | 2019 | up 58.9% | rising |
| 51 | Chile | 15.28 | 2020 | up 139.8% | rising |
| 52 | Georgia | 14.22 | 2013 | down 18.9% | falling |
| 53 | Mexico | 13.67 | 2020 | up 20.7% | flat |
| 54 | Costa Rica | 12.98 | 2021 | down 1.1% | flat |
| 55 | United States | 12.88 | 2018 | down 12.3% | falling |
| 56 | Romania | 12.66 | 2020 | down 1.3% | falling |
| 57 | Brazil | 12.51 | 2021 | up 2.4% | rising |
| 58 | Sri Lanka | 11.89 | 2016 | up 15.7% | falling |
| 59 | Paraguay | 9.62 | 2021 | down 4.1% | rising |
| 60 | Philippines | 9.13 | 2019 | up 12.6% | rising |
| 61 | Bolivia | 8.88 | 2021 | down 11.2% | rising |
| 62 | Zambia | 8.78 | 2015 | up 40.6% | rising |
| 63 | Afghanistan | 8.74 | 2019 | up 47.2% | rising |
| 64 | Morocco | 8.58 | 2009 | — | flat |
| 65 | El Salvador | 8.47 | 2021 | up 5.6% | falling |
| 66 | Pakistan | 8.06 | 2020 | up 4.9% | falling |
| 67 | India | 7.77 | 2019 | down 13.5% | rising |
| 68 | Cameroon | 7.67 | 2022 | up 24.3% | rising |
| 69 | Cambodia | 7.65 | 2012 | up 59.7% | rising |
| 70 | Peru | 7.59 | 2021 | down 10.8% | rising |
| 71 | Ecuador | 7.06 | 2020 | down 25.1% | flat |
| 72 | Ethiopia | 7.02 | 2021 | down 70.3% | volatile |
| 73 | Honduras | 6.58 | 2019 | up 3.2% | falling |
| 74 | Guatemala | 6.56 | 2019 | up 19.2% | rising |
| 75 | Rwanda | 6.31 | 2020 | up 127.1% | rising |
| 76 | Bangladesh | 4.2 | 2015 | down 4.4% | falling |
| 77 | Colombia | 4.17 | 2020 | down 1.1% | falling |
| 78 | Tanzania | 3.3 | 2020 | up 16.3% | rising |
| 79 | Niger | 1.97 | 2014 | down 33.6% | volatile |