Public sector employment as a share of total employment by country
Share of all employed people who are paid employees of the public sector, including government, the armed forces, public services, and state-owned enterprises.
Countries reporting
79
Highest
47.1%
Maldives
Lowest
2.0%
Niger
Median
19.5%
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 2.0% in Niger.
The median across all reporting countries is 19.5%, and the mean is 18.7%.
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 | Russian Federation | 44.9% | 2016 | up 0.0% | flat |
| 3 | Ukraine | 38.7% | 2013 | down 16.1% | falling |
| 4 | Belgium | 35.8% | 2020 | up 6.1% | falling |
| 5 | Denmark | 32.5% | 2020 | — | falling |
| 6 | Luxembourg | 31.5% | 2020 | up 26.8% | rising |
| 7 | Republic of Moldova | 30.3% | 2015 | down 0.5% | flat |
| 8 | Iceland | 29.9% | 2013 | down 4.1% | flat |
| 9 | Ireland | 29.3% | 2020 | up 9.5% | flat |
| 10 | France | 28.9% | 2020 | down 9.0% | falling |
| 11 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 28.9% | 2018 | down 2.4% | falling |
| 12 | Malta | 28.6% | 2020 | up 11.8% | rising |
| 13 | Finland | 27.8% | 2020 | up 6.8% | flat |
| 14 | Switzerland | 27.5% | 2020 | up 16.0% | rising |
| 15 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 27.4% | 2019 | down 16.0% | falling |
| 16 | Mongolia | 27.1% | 2021 | down 13.0% | rising |
| 17 | Portugal | 26.9% | 2020 | up 25.3% | rising |
| 18 | Austria | 25.6% | 2020 | up 13.1% | rising |
| 19 | Spain | 24.8% | 2020 | up 9.4% | rising |
| 20 | Hungary | 24.7% | 2020 | up 7.9% | falling |
| 21 | Lithuania | 24.4% | 2020 | down 5.9% | falling |
| 22 | Latvia | 23.6% | 2020 | down 1.1% | flat |
| 23 | Slovakia | 23.5% | 2020 | down 8.8% | falling |
| 24 | Palestine, State of | 23.5% | 2017 | down 14.0% | falling |
| 25 | Greece | 23.4% | 2020 | up 6.3% | rising |
| 26 | Jordan | 23.2% | 2016 | down 30.3% | falling |
| 27 | Tunisia | 22.8% | 2015 | up 13.0% | falling |
| 28 | Slovenia | 22.7% | 2020 | up 4.8% | falling |
| 29 | Armenia | 22.0% | 2021 | down 12.2% | falling |
| 30 | Estonia | 21.9% | 2020 | down 7.9% | falling |
| 31 | Egypt | 21.8% | 2019 | down 14.4% | rising |
| 32 | Croatia | 20.6% | 2020 | up 11.9% | rising |
| 33 | Czechia | 20.6% | 2020 | up 11.7% | falling |
| 34 | Poland | 20.5% | 2020 | up 7.2% | falling |
| 35 | Cyprus | 20.4% | 2020 | up 0.9% | flat |
| 36 | Namibia | 20.2% | 2015 | down 28.3% | falling |
| 37 | Australia | 20.0% | 2015 | down 24.5% | falling |
| 38 | Albania | 20.0% | 2012 | up 41.5% | rising |
| 39 | Italy | 19.5% | 2020 | up 4.8% | falling |
| 40 | South Africa | 19.5% | 2020 | up 17.3% | rising |
| 41 | Argentina | 18.9% | 2021 | up 13.2% | flat |
| 42 | Mauritius | 18.3% | 2017 | down 1.2% | rising |
| 43 | Panama | 18.0% | 2021 | up 12.1% | flat |
| 44 | Bulgaria | 17.7% | 2019 | up 9.5% | falling |
| 45 | Serbia | 17.7% | 2020 | down 10.8% | falling |
| 46 | Uruguay | 17.0% | 2020 | up 18.7% | falling |
| 47 | Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of | 16.8% | 2006 | up 13.6% | rising |
| 48 | Dominican Republic | 16.5% | 2019 | up 55.1% | rising |
| 49 | Türkiye | 16.0% | 2019 | up 26.9% | rising |
| 50 | Viet Nam | 15.8% | 2019 | up 58.9% | rising |
| 51 | Chile | 15.3% | 2020 | up 139.8% | rising |
| 52 | Georgia | 14.2% | 2013 | down 18.9% | falling |
| 53 | Mexico | 13.7% | 2020 | up 20.7% | flat |
| 54 | Costa Rica | 13.0% | 2021 | down 1.1% | flat |
| 55 | United States | 12.9% | 2018 | down 12.3% | falling |
| 56 | Romania | 12.7% | 2020 | down 1.3% | falling |
| 57 | Brazil | 12.5% | 2021 | up 2.4% | rising |
| 58 | Sri Lanka | 11.9% | 2016 | up 15.7% | falling |
| 59 | Paraguay | 9.6% | 2021 | down 4.1% | rising |
| 60 | Philippines | 9.1% | 2019 | up 12.6% | rising |
| 61 | Bolivia, Plurinational State of | 8.9% | 2021 | down 11.2% | rising |
| 62 | Zambia | 8.8% | 2015 | up 40.6% | rising |
| 63 | Afghanistan | 8.7% | 2019 | up 47.2% | rising |
| 64 | Morocco | 8.6% | 2009 | — | flat |
| 65 | El Salvador | 8.5% | 2021 | up 5.6% | falling |
| 66 | Pakistan | 8.1% | 2020 | up 4.9% | falling |
| 67 | India | 7.8% | 2019 | down 13.5% | rising |
| 68 | Cameroon | 7.7% | 2022 | up 24.3% | rising |
| 69 | Cambodia | 7.6% | 2012 | up 59.7% | rising |
| 70 | Peru | 7.6% | 2021 | down 10.8% | rising |
| 71 | Ecuador | 7.1% | 2020 | down 25.1% | flat |
| 72 | Ethiopia | 7.0% | 2021 | down 70.3% | volatile |
| 73 | Honduras | 6.6% | 2019 | up 3.2% | falling |
| 74 | Guatemala | 6.6% | 2019 | up 19.2% | rising |
| 75 | Rwanda | 6.3% | 2020 | up 127.1% | rising |
| 76 | Bangladesh | 4.2% | 2015 | down 4.4% | falling |
| 77 | Colombia | 4.2% | 2020 | down 1.1% | falling |
| 78 | Tanzania, United Republic of | 3.3% | 2020 | up 16.3% | rising |
| 79 | Niger | 2.0% | 2014 | down 33.6% | volatile |
About this data
Share of all employed people who are paid employees of the public sector, including government, the armed forces, public services, and state-owned enterprises.