Employee compensation as share of government spending in Finland
Finland: Employee compensation as share of government spending was 7.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Finland, 1972–2023
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of expense.
Analysis
The most recent figure for employee compensation as share of government spending in Finland is 7.1%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.5% on the previous year and down 13.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employee compensation as share of government spending in Finland peaked at 15.0% in 1972 and was at its lowest, 7.1%, in 1994.
Finland ranks 149th of 155 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 52 years of available data.
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Finland, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 15.0% | — |
| 1973 | 14.7% | -2.3% |
| 1974 | 13.7% | -6.7% |
| 1975 | 12.9% | -5.5% |
| 1976 | 12.9% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 12.3% | -4.9% |
| 1978 | 12.1% | -1.8% |
| 1979 | 11.8% | -2.2% |
| 1980 | 11.9% | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 12.0% | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 11.8% | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 10.9% | -7.6% |
| 1984 | 11.0% | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 10.7% | -2.9% |
| 1986 | 10.4% | -3.3% |
| 1987 | 10.6% | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 11.0% | +3.9% |
| 1989 | 10.8% | -1.7% |
| 1990 | 10.2% | -5.6% |
| 1991 | 9.3% | -8.6% |
| 1992 | 8.4% | -10.1% |
| 1993 | 7.4% | -11.2% |
| 1994 | 7.1% | -4.5% |
| 1995 | 8.1% | +14.5% |
| 1996 | 8.5% | +4.3% |
| 1997 | 8.7% | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 9.1% | +5.3% |
| 1999 | 9.2% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 9.5% | +3.6% |
| 2001 | 9.3% | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 9.2% | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 9.3% | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 9.3% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 9.2% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 9.1% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 9.0% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 9.0% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 8.8% | -2.6% |
| 2010 | 8.6% | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 8.4% | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 8.3% | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 8.3% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 8.1% | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 7.9% | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 7.6% | -4.0% |
| 2017 | 7.5% | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 7.8% | +4.4% |
| 2019 | 8.1% | +3.1% |
| 2020 | 7.6% | -6.0% |
| 2021 | 7.9% | +3.7% |
| 2022 | 8.1% | +2.7% |
| 2023 | 7.1% | -11.5% |
Finland compared with similar countries
- Finland's 7.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 18.9%, 38% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Finland's 7.1% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 16.4%, 43% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 13.2% | 11.8% | 15.0% | 8 |
| 1980s | 11.1% | 10.4% | 12.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.6% | 7.1% | 10.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.2% | 8.8% | 9.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.1% | 7.5% | 8.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.7% | 7.1% | 8.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Finland
- 146 South Korea 8.8% compare
- 147 United States 8.1% compare
- 148 Netherlands 7.8% compare
- 150 Switzerland 7.0% compare
- 151 Brazil 6.6% compare
- 152 Spain 5.9% compare
More work & labour data for Finland
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.3571 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.35 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.3641 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.59 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.2994 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 5,282 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 583.99 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,261 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,341 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 4,601 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employee compensation as share of government spending in Finland?
- Employee compensation as share of government spending in Finland was 7.1% in 2023, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Finland?
- The highest recorded value was 15.0% in 1972.
- What is the lowest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Finland?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.1% in 1994.
- How does Finland rank for employee compensation as share of government spending?
- Finland ranks 149th out of 155 countries with data for 2023.
- Is employee compensation as share of government spending rising or falling in Finland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Finland data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employee compensation as share of government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 52 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Employee compensation includes wages, in-kind payments, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions.