Employee compensation as share of government spending in Iran
Iran: Employee compensation as share of government spending was 39.8% in 2009. ▬ Flat
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Iran, 1972–2009
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of expense.
Analysis
In 2009, employee compensation as share of government spending in Iran stood at 39.8%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.4% on the previous year and down 26.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employee compensation as share of government spending in Iran peaked at 67.0% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 26.6%, in 1974.
That places Iran 28th out of 155 countries with data for 2009, putting it in the top quarter.
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Iran, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 48.9% | — |
| 1973 | 44.2% | -9.7% |
| 1974 | 26.6% | -39.8% |
| 1975 | 28.9% | +8.8% |
| 1976 | 33.3% | +15.1% |
| 1977 | 38.0% | +14.2% |
| 1978 | 46.2% | +21.6% |
| 1979 | 61.7% | +33.6% |
| 1980 | 57.9% | -6.2% |
| 1981 | 55.9% | -3.4% |
| 1982 | 56.1% | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 55.6% | -0.9% |
| 1984 | 56.4% | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 62.5% | +10.7% |
| 1986 | 67.0% | +7.2% |
| 1987 | 64.5% | -3.7% |
| 1988 | 57.5% | -10.9% |
| 1989 | 60.6% | +5.4% |
| 1990 | 52.7% | -13.0% |
| 1991 | 58.5% | +10.9% |
| 1992 | 51.1% | -12.6% |
| 1993 | 58.2% | +14.0% |
| 1994 | 59.9% | +2.8% |
| 1995 | 55.9% | -6.6% |
| 1996 | 60.5% | +8.1% |
| 1997 | 62.4% | +3.1% |
| 1998 | 63.2% | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 54.2% | -14.3% |
| 2000 | 56.6% | +4.5% |
| 2001 | 51.0% | -9.9% |
| 2002 | 47.5% | -6.8% |
| 2003 | 45.0% | -5.4% |
| 2004 | 44.4% | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 40.4% | -9.0% |
| 2006 | 38.1% | -5.6% |
| 2007 | 36.3% | -4.9% |
| 2008 | 36.7% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 39.8% | +8.4% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 39.8% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 26.6%, 1.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Iran's 39.8% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 34.5%, 1.2× the median. (14 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 41.0% | 26.6% | 61.7% | 8 |
| 1980s | 59.4% | 55.6% | 67.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 57.7% | 51.1% | 63.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 43.6% | 36.3% | 56.6% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Iran
More work & labour data for Iran
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 44,188 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 40.34 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 29,874 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 8.53 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 2.43 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 57,320 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 20,416 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 36.89 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.89 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.574 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employee compensation as share of government spending in Iran?
- Employee compensation as share of government spending in Iran was 39.8% in 2009, 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 Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 67.0% in 1986.
- What is the lowest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.6% in 1974.
- How does Iran rank for employee compensation as share of government spending?
- Iran ranks 28th out of 155 countries with data for 2009.
- Is employee compensation as share of government spending rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Iran 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.
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About this data
Employee compensation includes wages, in-kind payments, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions.