Germany - Expense (% of GDP)

Expense (% of GDP) in Germany was 28.33 as of 2019. Its highest value over the past 47 years was 38.33 in 1995, while its lowest value was 20.17 in 1972.

Definition: Expense is cash payments for operating activities of the government in providing goods and services. It includes compensation of employees (such as wages and salaries), interest and subsidies, grants, social benefits, and other expenses such as rent and dividends.

Source: International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, and World Bank and OECD GDP estimates.

See also:

Year Value
1972 20.17
1973 20.59
1974 22.19
1975 24.48
1976 24.64
1977 24.72
1978 24.71
1979 24.25
1980 25.38
1981 26.17
1982 26.41
1983 25.99
1984 26.20
1985 25.77
1986 25.35
1987 25.76
1988 25.55
1989 24.56
1990 24.69
1991 31.09
1992 31.31
1993 31.81
1994 31.89
1995 38.33
1996 32.45
1997 31.89
1998 31.70
1999 31.62
2000 31.31
2001 30.74
2002 31.18
2003 31.58
2004 30.39
2005 30.49
2006 29.19
2007 28.00
2008 28.27
2009 31.05
2010 31.37
2011 28.87
2012 28.49
2013 28.55
2014 28.05
2015 27.99
2016 27.90
2017 28.08
2018 27.90
2019 28.33

Limitations and Exceptions: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Despite IMF efforts to standardize data collection, statistics are often incomplete, untimely, and not comparable across countries.

Statistical Concept and Methodology: The IMF's Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014, harmonized with the 2008 SNA, recommends an accrual accounting method, focusing on all economic events affecting assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses, not just those represented by cash transactions. It accounts for all changes in stocks, so stock data at the end of an accounting period equal stock data at the beginning of the period plus flows over the period. The 1986 manual considered only debt stocks. Government finance statistics are reported in local currency. Many countries report government finance data by fiscal year; see country metadata for information on fiscal year end by country.

Aggregation method: Weighted average

Periodicity: Annual

Classification

Topic: Public Sector Indicators

Sub-Topic: Government finance