Employee compensation as share of government spending in Uruguay
Uruguay: Employee compensation as share of government spending was 22.2% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Uruguay, 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 Uruguay is 22.2%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 4.9% on the previous year and down 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employee compensation as share of government spending in Uruguay peaked at 38.6% in 1977 and was at its lowest, 15.0%, in 2000.
Uruguay ranks 87th 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 Uruguay, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 17.6% | — |
| 1973 | 33.6% | +91.3% |
| 1974 | 38.1% | +13.2% |
| 1975 | 36.0% | -5.5% |
| 1976 | 35.3% | -1.9% |
| 1977 | 38.6% | +9.3% |
| 1978 | 32.3% | -16.2% |
| 1979 | 32.8% | +1.5% |
| 1980 | 31.4% | -4.3% |
| 1981 | 32.3% | +2.7% |
| 1982 | 31.8% | -1.5% |
| 1983 | 30.7% | -3.5% |
| 1984 | 27.8% | -9.4% |
| 1985 | 28.3% | +1.8% |
| 1986 | 23.8% | -16.0% |
| 1987 | 22.6% | -4.9% |
| 1988 | 23.0% | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 22.3% | -3.1% |
| 1990 | 21.4% | -3.9% |
| 1991 | 19.0% | -11.4% |
| 1992 | 17.1% | -9.9% |
| 1993 | 15.5% | -9.3% |
| 1994 | 15.9% | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 16.5% | +3.9% |
| 1996 | 16.8% | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 16.1% | -4.1% |
| 1998 | 15.4% | -4.3% |
| 1999 | 17.6% | +14.2% |
| 2000 | 15.0% | -15.0% |
| 2001 | 23.6% | +57.8% |
| 2002 | 22.2% | -5.9% |
| 2003 | 20.9% | -6.0% |
| 2004 | 21.8% | +4.3% |
| 2005 | 22.3% | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 22.5% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 22.7% | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 23.7% | +4.4% |
| 2009 | 24.6% | +3.9% |
| 2010 | 23.0% | -6.5% |
| 2011 | 23.6% | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 23.1% | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 23.1% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 23.4% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 23.0% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 32.6% | +41.9% |
| 2017 | 25.7% | -21.0% |
| 2018 | 25.2% | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 25.8% | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 25.0% | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 24.4% | -2.4% |
| 2022 | 21.2% | -13.2% |
| 2023 | 22.2% | +4.9% |
Uruguay compared with similar countries
- Uruguay's 22.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 18.9%, 1.2× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Uruguay's 22.2% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 32.0%, 70% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Employee compensation as share of government spending in Uruguay changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | +91.3% | 17.6% | 33.6% |
| 2001 | +57.8% | 15.0% | 23.6% |
| 2016 | +41.9% | 23.0% | 32.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 33.0% | 17.6% | 38.6% | 8 |
| 1980s | 27.4% | 22.3% | 32.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.1% | 15.4% | 21.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 21.9% | 15.0% | 24.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.9% | 23.0% | 32.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.2% | 21.2% | 25.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Uruguay
More work & labour data for Uruguay
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -1.02 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -1 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -1.03 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.72 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.0269 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 3,567 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 95.27 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 1,144 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 1,102 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 2,246 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employee compensation as share of government spending in Uruguay?
- Employee compensation as share of government spending in Uruguay was 22.2% 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 Uruguay?
- The highest recorded value was 38.6% in 1977.
- What is the lowest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Uruguay?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.0% in 2000.
- How does Uruguay rank for employee compensation as share of government spending?
- Uruguay ranks 87th out of 155 countries with data for 2023.
- Is employee compensation as share of government spending rising or falling in Uruguay?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Uruguay 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.