United States - Expense (% of GDP)

Expense (% of GDP) in United States was 32.99 as of 2020. Its highest value over the past 48 years was 32.99 in 2020, while its lowest value was 17.80 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 17.80
1973 17.90
1974 17.88
1975 19.47
1976 19.73
1977 19.60
1978 19.12
1979 18.92
1980 20.54
1981 21.00
1982 22.46
1983 22.80
1984 21.47
1985 22.17
1986 22.23
1987 21.37
1988 21.03
1989 20.86
1990 21.56
1991 22.88
1992 21.82
1993 21.42
1994 20.73
1995 20.53
1996 20.01
1997 19.39
1998 18.72
1999 18.11
2000 17.92
2001 19.52
2002 20.08
2003 20.67
2004 20.46
2005 20.75
2006 20.60
2007 20.90
2008 22.88
2009 25.63
2010 26.16
2011 25.44
2012 24.00
2013 23.02
2014 22.73
2015 22.47
2016 22.55
2017 22.27
2018 22.30
2019 22.66
2020 32.99

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