Employee compensation as share of government spending in Portugal
Portugal: Employee compensation as share of government spending was 21.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Portugal, 1978–2023
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 Portugal is 21.1%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and down 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employee compensation as share of government spending in Portugal peaked at 31.4% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 19.2%, in 1986.
Portugal ranks 93rd of 155 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 46 years of available data.
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Portugal, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 26.3% | — |
| 1979 | 26.1% | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 25.6% | -1.8% |
| 1981 | 23.9% | -6.8% |
| 1982 | 24.6% | +3.0% |
| 1983 | 21.5% | -12.7% |
| 1984 | 22.7% | +5.9% |
| 1985 | 19.8% | -12.8% |
| 1986 | 19.2% | -3.5% |
| 1987 | 21.0% | +9.4% |
| 1988 | 22.5% | +7.2% |
| 1989 | 28.8% | +28.3% |
| 1990 | 29.0% | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 29.7% | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 30.5% | +2.7% |
| 1993 | 30.1% | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 30.3% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 28.8% | -4.9% |
| 1996 | 29.2% | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 30.2% | +3.5% |
| 1998 | 30.0% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 30.5% | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 31.4% | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 30.8% | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 31.1% | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 30.5% | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 29.9% | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 29.7% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 28.4% | -4.4% |
| 2007 | 27.3% | -3.8% |
| 2008 | 26.3% | -4.0% |
| 2009 | 25.8% | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 24.7% | -4.0% |
| 2011 | 22.8% | -7.7% |
| 2012 | 20.7% | -9.3% |
| 2013 | 21.6% | +4.2% |
| 2014 | 19.7% | -8.7% |
| 2015 | 20.4% | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 21.5% | +5.8% |
| 2017 | 20.8% | -3.2% |
| 2018 | 21.6% | +3.8% |
| 2019 | 22.0% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 20.9% | -4.8% |
| 2021 | 21.3% | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 20.9% | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 21.1% | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 26.2% | 26.1% | 26.3% | 2 |
| 1980s | 23.0% | 19.2% | 28.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 29.8% | 28.8% | 30.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 29.1% | 25.8% | 31.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.6% | 19.7% | 24.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.1% | 20.9% | 21.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
- 90 Equatorial Guinea 21.7% compare
- 91 New Zealand 21.5% compare
- 92 Uzbekistan 21.3% compare
- 94 Turkey 20.9% compare
- 95 Albania 20.5% compare
- 96 Luxembourg 20.5% compare
More work & labour data for Portugal
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0538 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.055 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0528 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.28 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.1795 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 7,134 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,861 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 4,504 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 4,250 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 8,754 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employee compensation as share of government spending in Portugal?
- Employee compensation as share of government spending in Portugal was 21.1% 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 Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 31.4% in 2000.
- What is the lowest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.2% in 1986.
- How does Portugal rank for employee compensation as share of government spending?
- Portugal ranks 93rd out of 155 countries with data for 2023.
- Is employee compensation as share of government spending rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Portugal 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.