General government spending covers all public expenditure — pensions, healthcare, education, defence, debt interest and investment — across every level of government. Countries with ageing populations and generous pension systems tend to sit at the top of this table.
In 2024, Scotland (Excluding Oil) recorded the highest figure at 58.8% of GDP and Ireland the lowest at 22.4%.
| Rank | Country | Spending, % of GDP | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scotland (Excluding Oil) | 58.8 | 2024 |
| 2 | Scotland (Per Capita Oil) | 58.4 | 2024 |
| 3 | Finland | 57.8 | 2024 |
| 4 | France | 57.0 | 2024 |
| 5 | Austria | 55.3 | 2024 |
| 6 | Scotland | 54.3 | 2024 |
| 7 | Belgium | 54.1 | 2024 |
| 8 | Italy | 50.4 | 2024 |
| 9 | Sweden | 50.1 | 2024 |
| 10 | Germany | 49.4 | 2024 |
| 11 | Poland | 49.2 | 2024 |
| 12 | Greece | 48.1 | 2024 |
| 13 | Norway | 47.8 | 2024 |
| 14 | Slovakia | 47.4 | 2024 |
| 15 | Hungary | 47.3 | 2024 |
| 16 | Iceland | 47.1 | 2024 |
| 17 | Luxembourg | 46.8 | 2024 |
| 18 | Denmark | 46.5 | 2024 |
| 19 | Slovenia | 46.5 | 2024 |
| 20 | United Kingdom | 46.3 | 2024 |
| 21 | Spain | 45.5 | 2024 |
| 22 | Latvia | 45.3 | 2024 |
| 23 | New Zealand | 45.2 | 2024 |
| 24 | Canada | 45.1 | 2024 |
| 25 | Netherlands | 44.6 | 2024 |
| 26 | Israel | 44.3 | 2024 |
| 27 | Estonia | 44.0 | 2024 |
| 28 | Czechia | 43.2 | 2024 |
| 29 | Portugal | 42.4 | 2024 |
| 30 | Australia | 39.6 | 2024 |
| 31 | United States | 39.6 | 2024 |
| 32 | Lithuania | 39.4 | 2024 |
| 33 | Japan | 38.7 | 2024 |
| 34 | Colombia | 38.6 | 2024 |
| 35 | Costa Rica | 38.1 | 2024 |
| 36 | South Korea | 35.1 | 2024 |
| 37 | Switzerland | 32.5 | 2024 |
| 38 | Mexico | 29.2 | 2024 |
| 39 | Chile | 27.5 | 2024 |
| 40 | Ireland | 22.4 | 2024 |