Central government expense in Italy

Central government expense in Italy was equal to 47.3% of GDP in 2023.

Measure: Central government expense as a share of GDP Unit: % of GDP Data: 1973 to 2023 Source: World Bank
Italy, 2023 47.3% % of GDP
Change from 2022 −1.1percentage points 2022: 48.4%
European Union, 2022 39.3% Official aggregate Not the same period as Italy (2023).
Median of European Union (27 countries), 2023 38.5% Middle value of 19 countries

Central government expense in Italy over time

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Italy European Union ×

% of GDP. Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Gaps mean no published value; points are not joined across missing years.

Central government expense as a share of GDP (% of GDP), 2000 to 2023
Period ItalyEuropean Union
2023 47.3% –
2022 48.4% 39.3%
2021 49.7% 41.1%
2020 50.3% 42.2%
2019 42.3% 36.4%
2018 42.5% 36.6%
2017 42.9% 37.0%
2016 43.2% 37.4%
2015 43.5% 37.8%
2014 43.6% 38.6%
2013 43.7% 39.1%
2012 43.5% 39.1%
2011 41.8% 38.1%
2010 42.7% 39.6%
2009 44.0% 39.4%
2008 40.6% 36.2%
2007 39.1% 35.4%
2006 39.6% 35.9%
2005 39.0% 36.5%
2004 38.7% 36.7%
2003 39.5% 38.2%
2002 39.3% 37.9%
2001 39.9% 37.7%
2000 39.4% 37.7%

A dash means no value was published for that period.

In short

  • That is a change of −1.1 percentage points from 48.4% in 2022.
  • Since 2013, when it was 43.7%, the figure has changed by +3.5 percentage points.

Source and dates

Original producer
International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics
Distributed by
World Bank, World Development Indicators
Dataset or series code
GC.XPN.TOTL.GD.ZS · dataset details · view at source
Observation period
1973 to 2023 for Italy
Provider update
8 October 2026
Retrieved
9 November 2026
Published here
9 November 2026
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (per series metadata)
Attribution
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators, original data: International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics