Employee compensation as share of government spending by country
Employee compensation includes wages, in-kind payments, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions.
Countries reporting
155
Highest
62.0%
Mozambique
Lowest
5.2%
Kazakhstan
Median
25.8%
Years covered
53
1972–2024
Data points
4,295
What the numbers show
Employee compensation as share of government spending is currently reported for 155 countries. The highest value is 62.0% in Mozambique; the lowest is 5.2% in Kazakhstan.
The median across all reporting countries is 25.8%, and the mean is 26.6%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 12.
Over the past decade 55 countries rose and 98 fell. The largest increase was in Uzbekistan (up 179.3%), and the largest decrease in Mongolia (down 60.3%).
Employee compensation as share of government spending: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mozambique | 62.0% | 2022 | up 47.2% | rising |
| 2 | Laos | 54.2% | 2022 | up 21.1% | rising |
| 3 | Botswana | 54.0% | 2023 | up 24.3% | rising |
| 4 | Belize | 52.4% | 2017 | up 37.1% | falling |
| 5 | Iraq | 51.9% | 2019 | up 17.1% | flat |
| 6 | Central African Republic | 49.9% | 2021 | up 67.8% | rising |
| 7 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 49.8% | 2017 | down 0.1% | flat |
| 8 | Honduras | 48.6% | 2020 | down 12.7% | rising |
| 9 | Saudi Arabia | 48.5% | 2023 | down 6.8% | falling |
| 10 | Burundi | 48.1% | 2021 | up 4.6% | rising |
| 11 | Madagascar | 47.9% | 2023 | down 7.8% | rising |
| 12 | Solomon Islands | 47.3% | 2022 | up 35.4% | rising |
| 13 | Eswatini | 47.0% | 2021 | down 17.0% | flat |
| 14 | Samoa | 46.1% | 2023 | up 15.2% | rising |
| 15 | Vanuatu | 46.1% | 2023 | down 14.3% | falling |
| 16 | Jordan | 46.0% | 2023 | down 4.7% | falling |
| 17 | Gabon | 45.0% | 2021 | up 24.9% | rising |
| 18 | Lesotho | 44.7% | 2022 | up 11.5% | falling |
| 19 | Kyrgyzstan | 43.6% | 2023 | up 9.6% | rising |
| 20 | Mali | 43.3% | 2020 | up 26.2% | rising |
| 21 | Somalia | 42.0% | 2023 | down 22.5% | falling |
| 22 | Paraguay | 41.5% | 2023 | down 29.9% | falling |
| 23 | El Salvador | 40.9% | 2023 | down 2.4% | falling |
| 24 | Burkina Faso | 40.7% | 2023 | down 6.2% | flat |
| 25 | Bhutan | 40.4% | 2020 | up 6.1% | falling |
| 26 | Saint Lucia | 40.4% | 2017 | down 22.8% | falling |
| 27 | Cape Verde | 39.9% | 2020 | down 3.6% | rising |
| 28 | Iran | 39.8% | 2009 | down 26.6% | flat |
| 29 | Bahrain | 39.5% | 2020 | down 10.7% | falling |
| 30 | Angola | 39.3% | 2019 | down 15.9% | rising |
| 31 | Maldives | 39.1% | 2021 | down 38.1% | rising |
| 32 | Cambodia | 38.9% | 2023 | up 3.2% | rising |
| 33 | Namibia | 38.8% | 2023 | down 10.0% | falling |
| 34 | Morocco | 38.5% | 2023 | down 14.6% | falling |
| 35 | Guinea-Bissau | 38.4% | 2023 | down 7.1% | flat |
| 36 | Jamaica | 38.0% | 2020 | down 1.0% | flat |
| 37 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 37.4% | 2022 | up 14.1% | rising |
| 38 | Seychelles | 37.3% | 2008 | up 25.1% | rising |
| 39 | Senegal | 37.1% | 2023 | up 10.2% | rising |
| 40 | Sudan | 36.8% | 2016 | up 18.3% | falling |
| 41 | Zimbabwe | 36.6% | 2018 | down 35.0% | falling |
| 42 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 35.7% | 2020 | down 15.3% | falling |
| 43 | Marshall Islands | 35.3% | 2020 | down 17.8% | falling |
| 44 | Dominican Republic | 35.2% | 2023 | down 7.4% | falling |
| 45 | Tunisia | 35.1% | 2012 | down 13.9% | flat |
| 46 | Philippines | 35.0% | 2023 | down 4.1% | flat |
| 47 | Cameroon | 34.7% | 2021 | down 3.6% | falling |
| 48 | Panama | 34.3% | 2021 | up 14.1% | rising |
| 49 | Afghanistan | 34.0% | 2017 | up 20.3% | rising |
| 50 | Nauru | 33.9% | 2020 | up 104.3% | rising |
| 51 | Tonga | 33.8% | 2023 | down 22.1% | falling |
| 52 | Macao | 33.4% | 2023 | up 9.1% | falling |
| 53 | Malawi | 32.5% | 2022 | up 20.0% | rising |
| 54 | United Arab Emirates | 32.2% | 2023 | down 0.2% | falling |
| 55 | Trinidad and Tobago | 32.1% | 2019 | up 25.7% | falling |
| 56 | Lebanon | 32.1% | 2021 | up 46.4% | rising |
| 57 | Guatemala | 32.0% | 2023 | up 2.9% | falling |
| 58 | Nicaragua | 32.0% | 2023 | down 13.9% | rising |
| 59 | Togo | 31.7% | 2023 | down 7.5% | rising |
| 60 | Kiribati | 31.4% | 2023 | down 20.0% | falling |
| 61 | Niger | 31.3% | 1980 | — | flat |
| 62 | Palau | 31.0% | 2020 | down 12.6% | flat |
| 63 | Malaysia | 29.6% | 2023 | up 1.9% | rising |
| 64 | Ukraine | 28.6% | 2023 | up 146.9% | rising |
| 65 | Ecuador | 28.6% | 2022 | up 7.3% | rising |
| 66 | Ghana | 28.3% | 2022 | down 20.2% | falling |
| 67 | Zambia | 28.0% | 2021 | down 33.5% | falling |
| 68 | Fiji | 27.7% | 2023 | down 14.2% | falling |
| 69 | Cyprus | 27.4% | 2023 | down 8.7% | falling |
| 70 | Egypt | 27.2% | 2015 | down 4.5% | rising |
| 71 | Malta | 26.9% | 2023 | down 12.0% | falling |
| 72 | Costa Rica | 26.8% | 2023 | down 43.7% | falling |
| 73 | Mauritius | 26.6% | 2023 | down 29.5% | falling |
| 74 | Ireland | 26.6% | 2022 | up 7.8% | rising |
| 75 | Micronesia (country) | 26.2% | 2020 | down 27.6% | falling |
| 76 | Bahamas | 25.9% | 2023 | down 41.0% | falling |
| 77 | Congo | 25.9% | 2021 | down 1.7% | rising |
| 78 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 25.8% | 2023 | down 10.4% | falling |
| 79 | Tajikistan | 24.8% | 2023 | — | rising |
| 80 | Barbados | 24.7% | 2016 | down 22.4% | falling |
| 81 | Kuwait | 24.2% | 2006 | down 20.2% | falling |
| 82 | Iceland | 23.8% | 2023 | up 8.7% | falling |
| 83 | San Marino | 23.5% | 2023 | down 22.1% | falling |
| 84 | Cote d'Ivoire | 23.3% | 2023 | down 52.9% | falling |
| 85 | Thailand | 22.6% | 2023 | down 18.9% | falling |
| 86 | Israel | 22.4% | 2023 | down 5.0% | rising |
| 87 | Uruguay | 22.2% | 2023 | down 3.6% | falling |
| 88 | Bolivia | 22.2% | 2007 | down 13.0% | falling |
| 89 | Myanmar | 22.0% | 2019 | up 39.7% | rising |
| 90 | Equatorial Guinea | 21.7% | 2022 | up 77.3% | rising |
| 91 | New Zealand | 21.5% | 2022 | down 9.4% | rising |
| 92 | Uzbekistan | 21.3% | 2023 | up 179.3% | rising |
| 93 | Portugal | 21.1% | 2023 | down 2.2% | falling |
| 94 | Turkey | 20.9% | 2023 | down 13.3% | falling |
| 95 | Albania | 20.5% | 2023 | down 19.8% | rising |
| 96 | Luxembourg | 20.5% | 2023 | up 3.9% | flat |
| 97 | Bangladesh | 20.3% | 2021 | down 6.7% | falling |
| 98 | Chile | 19.9% | 2023 | down 6.3% | falling |
| 99 | Armenia | 19.3% | 2023 | down 11.1% | falling |
| 100 | Latvia | 19.2% | 2023 | up 18.5% | falling |
| 101 | Hungary | 19.1% | 2022 | up 43.9% | rising |
| 102 | Romania | 19.0% | 2022 | up 33.7% | rising |
| 103 | Sri Lanka | 18.9% | 2023 | down 32.3% | rising |
| 104 | Singapore | 18.8% | 2023 | down 36.6% | falling |
| 105 | Greece | 18.4% | 2023 | up 6.0% | falling |
| 106 | Kenya | 18.4% | 2023 | down 48.3% | falling |
| 107 | Bulgaria | 18.0% | 2023 | down 6.7% | rising |
| 108 | France | 17.6% | 2023 | down 3.0% | flat |
| 109 | Tanzania | 17.5% | 2024 | down 10.8% | falling |
| 110 | Uganda | 17.4% | 2023 | down 22.6% | falling |
| 111 | Slovenia | 16.8% | 2023 | up 15.8% | falling |
| 112 | Serbia | 16.7% | 2022 | down 34.1% | falling |
| 113 | Estonia | 16.4% | 2023 | up 0.3% | falling |
| 114 | Slovakia | 16.4% | 2022 | up 21.6% | falling |
| 115 | United Kingdom | 15.8% | 2023 | up 24.3% | flat |
| 116 | Peru | 15.6% | 2021 | down 8.7% | falling |
| 117 | Lithuania | 15.6% | 2023 | down 0.5% | flat |
| 118 | Ethiopia | 14.8% | 2023 | up 58.8% | volatile |
| 119 | Indonesia | 14.8% | 2009 | up 39.1% | falling |
| 120 | East Timor | 14.7% | 2022 | down 10.2% | rising |
| 121 | Norway | 14.7% | 2023 | down 6.9% | rising |
| 122 | Croatia | 14.5% | 2023 | down 5.6% | falling |
| 123 | Georgia | 14.4% | 2023 | down 29.7% | rising |
| 124 | Rwanda | 14.3% | 2023 | down 35.4% | falling |
| 125 | Azerbaijan | 14.2% | 2022 | up 1.4% | rising |
| 126 | South Africa | 14.2% | 2022 | down 0.2% | falling |
| 127 | Nepal | 14.1% | 2021 | down 48.6% | falling |
| 128 | Belarus | 14.1% | 2023 | up 16.4% | rising |
| 129 | Argentina | 12.9% | 2023 | up 0.3% | falling |
| 130 | North Macedonia | 12.4% | 2023 | down 22.6% | falling |
| 131 | Poland | 12.3% | 2023 | down 10.3% | falling |
| 132 | India | 12.1% | 2022 | up 39.8% | falling |
| 133 | Czechia | 12.1% | 2022 | up 7.7% | rising |
| 134 | Russia | 11.9% | 2020 | down 26.2% | falling |
| 135 | Papua New Guinea | 11.2% | 2023 | down 31.2% | falling |
| 136 | Denmark | 11.0% | 2023 | up 7.8% | falling |
| 137 | Italy | 10.9% | 2023 | down 19.6% | falling |
| 138 | Canada | 10.2% | 2023 | down 14.7% | flat |
| 139 | Austria | 10.1% | 2023 | down 3.3% | falling |
| 140 | Mongolia | 9.9% | 2021 | down 60.3% | rising |
| 141 | Colombia | 9.8% | 2023 | up 25.5% | volatile |
| 142 | Australia | 9.5% | 2022 | down 9.9% | rising |
| 143 | Moldova | 9.5% | 2023 | down 20.7% | falling |
| 144 | Mexico | 9.2% | 2023 | down 23.5% | falling |
| 145 | Sweden | 9.2% | 2022 | down 0.9% | flat |
| 146 | South Korea | 8.8% | 2023 | down 13.4% | falling |
| 147 | United States | 8.1% | 2023 | down 19.4% | falling |
| 148 | Netherlands | 7.8% | 2023 | up 2.4% | falling |
| 149 | Finland | 7.1% | 2023 | down 13.7% | falling |
| 150 | Switzerland | 7.0% | 2023 | up 1.1% | falling |
| 151 | Brazil | 6.6% | 2023 | down 28.5% | falling |
| 152 | Spain | 5.9% | 2023 | down 13.4% | volatile |
| 153 | Belgium | 5.9% | 2022 | down 1.1% | falling |
| 154 | Germany | 5.7% | 2022 | down 9.2% | falling |
| 155 | Kazakhstan | 5.2% | 2023 | down 33.9% | falling |
About this data
Employee compensation includes wages, in-kind payments, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions.