In 2025, general government expenditure as a share of GDP in El Salvador was 30.2 %, down from 31.4 % in 2024. Explore the historical series and compare El Salvador with other economies below.
Government expenditure (% of GDP)
Total expenditure of the general government
El Salvador
Year
%
2025
30.2
2024
31.4
2023
30.5
2022
28.7
2021
31.1
2020
32.7
2019
27.8
2018
27.6
2017
28.1
2016
27.5
2015
27.1
2014
27.6
2013
28.5
2012
27.4
2011
25.3
2010
25.6
2009
26.0
2008
24.5
2007
22.8
2006
23.4
2005
22.4
2004
21.5
2003
22.6
2002
22.5
2001
21.7
2000
21.0
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Government expenditure (% of GDP) compared with other countries
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Government expenditure (% of GDP)
About this indicator
This indicator measures general government total expenditure as a percentage of GDP. It captures all spending by the consolidated public sector in a given year, including wages and social benefits, interest payments, subsidies, transfers, and net acquisition of nonfinancial assets. Comparing expenditure-to-GDP ratios across countries shows the size of government relative to the economy. A higher ratio means the public sector accounts for a larger share of economic activity. The series follows the IMF World Economic Outlook definition of government expenditure, under the Government Finance Statistics Manual (GFSM) framework.
Sources and updates
Data sources
The data for this indicator are drawn from the IMF World Economic Outlook.
Last update
This indicator was last updated on Econorama on 18 June 2026 and reflects the latest data available from the underlying sources at that time.