Central government expense in Spain

Central government expense in Spain was equal to 34.0% of GDP in 2023.

Measure: Central government expense as a share of GDP Unit: % of GDP Data: 1972 to 2023 Source: World Bank
Spain, 2023 34.0% % of GDP
Change from 2022 −1.3percentage points 2022: 35.3%
European Union, 2022 39.3% Official aggregate Not the same period as Spain (2023).
Median of European Union (27 countries), 2023 38.5% Middle value of 19 countries

Central government expense in Spain over time

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Spain 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 SpainEuropean Union
2023 34.0% –
2022 35.3% 39.3%
2021 38.4% 41.1%
2020 40.4% 42.2%
2019 32.1% 36.4%
2018 31.7% 36.6%
2017 31.4% 37.0%
2016 32.4% 37.4%
2015 32.7% 37.8%
2014 34.5% 38.6%
2013 35.3% 39.1%
2012 38.0% 39.1%
2011 31.2% 38.1%
2010 31.5% 39.6%
2009 32.4% 39.4%
2008 28.6% 36.2%
2007 27.4% 35.4%
2006 27.2% 35.9%
2005 27.3% 36.5%
2004 28.9% 36.7%
2003 – 38.2%
2002 – 37.9%
2001 – 37.7%
2000 – 37.7%

A dash means no value was published for that period.

In short

  • That is a change of −1.3 percentage points from 35.3% in 2022.
  • Since 2013, when it was 35.3%, the figure has changed by −1.3 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
1972 to 2023 for Spain
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