Employee compensation as share of government spending in Singapore
Singapore: Employee compensation as share of government spending was 18.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Singapore, 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
In 2023, employee compensation as share of government spending in Singapore stood at 18.8%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.5% on the previous year and down 36.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employee compensation as share of government spending in Singapore peaked at 44.0% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 14.3%, in 2020.
Singapore ranks 104th of 155 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 52 years of available data.
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Singapore, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 41.3% | — |
| 1973 | 38.4% | -6.9% |
| 1974 | 40.3% | +4.9% |
| 1975 | 40.0% | -0.7% |
| 1976 | 39.7% | -0.7% |
| 1977 | 38.2% | -3.8% |
| 1978 | 39.8% | +4.0% |
| 1979 | 39.5% | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 36.9% | -6.7% |
| 1981 | 35.9% | -2.8% |
| 1982 | 37.1% | +3.5% |
| 1983 | 36.9% | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 35.2% | -4.5% |
| 1985 | 41.4% | +17.7% |
| 1986 | 29.8% | -28.2% |
| 1987 | 23.0% | -22.8% |
| 1988 | 31.6% | +37.3% |
| 1989 | 31.5% | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 31.4% | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 28.1% | -10.5% |
| 1992 | 29.6% | +5.1% |
| 1993 | 31.1% | +5.3% |
| 1994 | 44.0% | +41.3% |
| 1995 | 38.7% | -12.1% |
| 1996 | 29.0% | -24.9% |
| 1997 | 34.2% | +17.8% |
| 1998 | 30.6% | -10.6% |
| 1999 | 32.4% | +5.9% |
| 2000 | 29.3% | -9.5% |
| 2001 | 27.4% | -6.6% |
| 2002 | 31.0% | +13.1% |
| 2003 | 30.6% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 31.1% | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 34.0% | +9.3% |
| 2006 | 28.3% | -16.8% |
| 2007 | 32.1% | +13.7% |
| 2008 | 27.2% | -15.5% |
| 2009 | 27.0% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 30.4% | +12.5% |
| 2011 | 27.2% | -10.6% |
| 2012 | 28.7% | +5.7% |
| 2013 | 29.6% | +3.2% |
| 2014 | 28.7% | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 23.8% | -16.8% |
| 2016 | 26.6% | +11.6% |
| 2017 | 26.5% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 24.8% | -6.3% |
| 2019 | 24.5% | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 14.3% | -41.6% |
| 2021 | 20.7% | +44.7% |
| 2022 | 20.1% | -2.8% |
| 2023 | 18.8% | -6.5% |
Singapore compared with similar countries
- Singapore's 18.8% is below the median for high income countries, which is 18.9%, 99% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Singapore's 18.8% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 29.6%, 63% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 39.7% | 38.2% | 41.3% | 8 |
| 1980s | 33.9% | 23.0% | 41.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 32.9% | 28.1% | 44.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 29.8% | 27.0% | 34.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.1% | 23.8% | 30.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.5% | 14.3% | 20.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
More work & labour data for Singapore
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.967 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.9557 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.9779 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.1059 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 6,575 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 0 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,077 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,086 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 4,163 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, per unit 0 1000 No per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employee compensation as share of government spending in Singapore?
- Employee compensation as share of government spending in Singapore was 18.8% 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 Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 44.0% in 1994.
- What is the lowest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.3% in 2020.
- How does Singapore rank for employee compensation as share of government spending?
- Singapore ranks 104th out of 155 countries with data for 2023.
- Is employee compensation as share of government spending rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is down 36.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Singapore 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.