Government expenditure (% of GDP) in the United States

In 2025, general government expenditure as a share of GDP in the United States was 37.7 %, compared with 37.7 % in 2024. Explore the historical series and compare the United States with other economies below.

Government expenditure (% of GDP)

Total expenditure of the general government

United States

Year	%
2025	37.7
2024	37.7
2023	37.5
2022	36.8
2021	43.2
2020	44.7
2019	35.8
2018	35.3
2017	35.2
2016	35.3
2015	35.0
2014	35.3
2013	35.8
2012	37.2
2011	38.8
2010	39.8
2009	41.4
2008	37.1
2007	34.6
2006	33.7
2005	33.9
2004	33.7
2003	34.0
2002	33.7
2001	32.8

How United States compares

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.