Central government expense in Portugal

Central government expense in Portugal was equal to 37.2% of GDP in 2023. The value for 2023 is the lowest since 1999.

Measure: Central government expense as a share of GDP Unit: % of GDP Data: 1975 to 2023 Source: World Bank
Portugal, 2023 37.2% % of GDP
Change from 2022 −2.2percentage points 2022: 39.3%
European Union, 2022 39.3% Official aggregate Not the same period as Portugal (2023).
Median of European Union (27 countries), 2023 38.5% Middle value of 19 countries

Central government expense in Portugal over time

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Portugal 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 PortugalEuropean Union
2023 37.2% –
2022 39.3% 39.3%
2021 42.5% 41.1%
2020 44.5% 42.2%
2019 38.7% 36.4%
2018 39.3% 36.6%
2017 41.7% 37.0%
2016 41.3% 37.4%
2015 44.0% 37.8%
2014 47.6% 38.6%
2013 45.6% 39.1%
2012 44.4% 39.1%
2011 44.5% 38.1%
2010 44.1% 39.6%
2009 43.3% 39.4%
2008 40.2% 36.2%
2007 39.2% 35.4%
2006 40.0% 35.9%
2005 41.3% 36.5%
2004 40.4% 36.7%
2003 39.7% 38.2%
2002 38.4% 37.9%
2001 38.1% 37.7%
2000 37.2% 37.7%

A dash means no value was published for that period.

In short

  • That is a change of −2.2 percentage points from 39.3% in 2022.
  • Since 2013, when it was 45.6%, the figure has changed by −8.4 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
1975 to 2023 for Portugal
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