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Data

Government procurement spending as share of total government spending

OECD

What you should know about this indicator

  • General government procurement spending is the purchase of goods, services and works by the government. It is defined as the sum of the goods and services purchased by the government for its own use, gross fixed capital formation (infrastructure for transport, office buildings, housing, schools and hospitals), and social transfers in kind via market producers. Public corporations are excluded.
  • This data refers to general government, which includes central, state, and local governments and social security funds.

How is this data described by its producer - OECD?

The size of general government procurement spending is estimated using data from the OECD National Accounts Statistics (database), based on the System of National Accounts (SNA). General government procurement is defined as the sum of intermediate consumption (goods and services purchased by governments for their own use, such as accounting or information technology services), gross fixed capital formation (acquisition of capital excluding sales of fixed assets, such as building new roads) and social transfers in kind via market producers (purchases by general government of goods and services produced by market producers and supplied to households). Public corporations were excluded in the estimation of procurement spending.

Government procurement spending as share of total government spending
OECD
This data is divided by total government expenditure, expressed as a percentage.
Source
OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Last updated
April 1, 2026
Next expected update
April 2027
Date range
2007–2024
Unit
% of government expenditure

Sources and processing

This data is based on the following sources

OECD – Public finance main indicators - Government at a glance, Yearly updates

This dataset represents a selection of indicators as presented in the 2025 edition of the Government at a Glance publication related to the public finance under the System of national accounts (SNA). Government at a Glance provides a dashboard of indicators assembled to help decision makers and the public analyse and benchmark governments across OECD members and partner countries. With a growing emphasis on governance outcomes, this ninth edition presents the latest evidence on public governance tools and resources that can help public administrations address complex, long-term challenges, while allowing progress to be monitored over time. The Structure and indicators section of the Government at a Glance publication, describes its framework and the structure by chapters.

The 2025 edition of Government at a Glance presents a structure around three broad categories:

  1. Trust, security and dignity; prosperity and satisfaction with public services;
  2. Achieving results with good governance practices;
  3. What resources public institutions use and how are they managed.

Further information on Government at a Glance 2025 edition via a dedicated web platform, which includes a Government at a Glance Data dashboard (for a selection of indicators in an interactive format) as well as Country fact sheets (key data by country), can be found at: Government at a Glance website.

Retrieved on
April 1, 2026
Retrieved from
https://data-explorer.oecd.org/
Citation
This is the citation of the original data obtained from the source, prior to any processing or adaptation by Our World in Data. To cite data downloaded from this page, please use the suggested citation given in Reuse This Work below.
OECD (2026). Public finance main indicators - Government at a glance, Yearly updates. OECD Data Explorer, https://data-explorer.oecd.org/.

This dataset represents a selection of indicators as presented in the 2025 edition of the Government at a Glance publication related to the public finance under the System of national accounts (SNA). Government at a Glance provides a dashboard of indicators assembled to help decision makers and the public analyse and benchmark governments across OECD members and partner countries. With a growing emphasis on governance outcomes, this ninth edition presents the latest evidence on public governance tools and resources that can help public administrations address complex, long-term challenges, while allowing progress to be monitored over time. The Structure and indicators section of the Government at a Glance publication, describes its framework and the structure by chapters.

The 2025 edition of Government at a Glance presents a structure around three broad categories:

  1. Trust, security and dignity; prosperity and satisfaction with public services;
  2. Achieving results with good governance practices;
  3. What resources public institutions use and how are they managed.

Further information on Government at a Glance 2025 edition via a dedicated web platform, which includes a Government at a Glance Data dashboard (for a selection of indicators in an interactive format) as well as Country fact sheets (key data by country), can be found at: Government at a Glance website.

Retrieved on
April 1, 2026
Retrieved from
https://data-explorer.oecd.org/
Citation
This is the citation of the original data obtained from the source, prior to any processing or adaptation by Our World in Data. To cite data downloaded from this page, please use the suggested citation given in Reuse This Work below.
OECD (2026). Public finance main indicators - Government at a glance, Yearly updates. OECD Data Explorer, https://data-explorer.oecd.org/.

OECD – Size of public procurement - Government at a glance indicators, Yearly updates

This dataset represents a selection of indicators as presented in the 2025 edition of the Government at a Glance publication related to the public procurement spending as estimated under the System of National Accounts (SNA). Government at a Glance provides a dashboard of indicators assembled to help decision makers and the public analyse and benchmark governments across OECD members and partner countries. With a growing emphasis on governance outcomes, this ninth edition presents the latest evidence on public governance tools and resources that can help public administrations address complex, long-term challenges, while allowing progress to be monitored over time. The Structure and indicators section of the Government at a Glance publication, describes its framework and the structure by chapters.

The 2025 edition of Government at a Glance presents a structure around three broad categories:

  1. Trust, security and dignity; prosperity and satisfaction with public services;
  2. Achieving results with good governance practices;
  3. What resources public institutions use and how are they managed.

Further information on Government at a Glance 2025 edition via a dedicated web platform, which includes a Government at a Glance Data dashboard (for a selection of indicators in an interactive format) as well as Country fact sheets (key data by country), can be found at: Government at a Glance website.

Retrieved on
April 1, 2026
Retrieved from
https://data-explorer.oecd.org/
Citation
This is the citation of the original data obtained from the source, prior to any processing or adaptation by Our World in Data. To cite data downloaded from this page, please use the suggested citation given in Reuse This Work below.
OECD (2026). Size of public procurement - Government at a glance indicators, Yearly updates. OECD Data Explorer, https://data-explorer.oecd.org/.

This dataset represents a selection of indicators as presented in the 2025 edition of the Government at a Glance publication related to the public procurement spending as estimated under the System of National Accounts (SNA). Government at a Glance provides a dashboard of indicators assembled to help decision makers and the public analyse and benchmark governments across OECD members and partner countries. With a growing emphasis on governance outcomes, this ninth edition presents the latest evidence on public governance tools and resources that can help public administrations address complex, long-term challenges, while allowing progress to be monitored over time. The Structure and indicators section of the Government at a Glance publication, describes its framework and the structure by chapters.

The 2025 edition of Government at a Glance presents a structure around three broad categories:

  1. Trust, security and dignity; prosperity and satisfaction with public services;
  2. Achieving results with good governance practices;
  3. What resources public institutions use and how are they managed.

Further information on Government at a Glance 2025 edition via a dedicated web platform, which includes a Government at a Glance Data dashboard (for a selection of indicators in an interactive format) as well as Country fact sheets (key data by country), can be found at: Government at a Glance website.

Retrieved on
April 1, 2026
Retrieved from
https://data-explorer.oecd.org/
Citation
This is the citation of the original data obtained from the source, prior to any processing or adaptation by Our World in Data. To cite data downloaded from this page, please use the suggested citation given in Reuse This Work below.
OECD (2026). Size of public procurement - Government at a glance indicators, Yearly updates. OECD Data Explorer, https://data-explorer.oecd.org/.

OECD – Public finance by economic transaction - Government at a glance indicators, Yearly updates

This dataset represents a selection of indicators as presented in the 2025 edition of the Government at a Glance publication related to government revenue and expenditure disaggregation by economic transactions under the System of National Accounts (SNA). Government at a Glance provides a dashboard of indicators assembled to help decision makers and the public analyse and benchmark governments across OECD members and partner countries. With a growing emphasis on governance outcomes, this ninth edition presents the latest evidence on public governance tools and resources that can help public administrations address complex, long-term challenges, while allowing progress to be monitored over time. The Structure and indicators section of the Government at a Glance publication, describes its framework and the structure by chapters.

The 2025 edition of Government at a Glance presents a structure around three broad categories:

  1. Trust, security and dignity; prosperity and satisfaction with public services;
  2. Achieving results with good governance practices;
  3. What resources public institutions use and how are they managed.

Further information on Government at a Glance 2025 edition via a dedicated web platform, which includes a Government at a Glance Data dashboard (for a selection of indicators in an interactive format) as well as Country fact sheets (key data by country), can be found at: Government at a Glance website.

Retrieved on
April 1, 2026
Retrieved from
https://data-explorer.oecd.org/
Citation
This is the citation of the original data obtained from the source, prior to any processing or adaptation by Our World in Data. To cite data downloaded from this page, please use the suggested citation given in Reuse This Work below.
OECD (2026). Public finance by economic transaction - Government at a glance indicators, Yearly updates. OECD Data Explorer, https://data-explorer.oecd.org/.

This dataset represents a selection of indicators as presented in the 2025 edition of the Government at a Glance publication related to government revenue and expenditure disaggregation by economic transactions under the System of National Accounts (SNA). Government at a Glance provides a dashboard of indicators assembled to help decision makers and the public analyse and benchmark governments across OECD members and partner countries. With a growing emphasis on governance outcomes, this ninth edition presents the latest evidence on public governance tools and resources that can help public administrations address complex, long-term challenges, while allowing progress to be monitored over time. The Structure and indicators section of the Government at a Glance publication, describes its framework and the structure by chapters.

The 2025 edition of Government at a Glance presents a structure around three broad categories:

  1. Trust, security and dignity; prosperity and satisfaction with public services;
  2. Achieving results with good governance practices;
  3. What resources public institutions use and how are they managed.

Further information on Government at a Glance 2025 edition via a dedicated web platform, which includes a Government at a Glance Data dashboard (for a selection of indicators in an interactive format) as well as Country fact sheets (key data by country), can be found at: Government at a Glance website.

Retrieved on
April 1, 2026
Retrieved from
https://data-explorer.oecd.org/
Citation
This is the citation of the original data obtained from the source, prior to any processing or adaptation by Our World in Data. To cite data downloaded from this page, please use the suggested citation given in Reuse This Work below.
OECD (2026). Public finance by economic transaction - Government at a glance indicators, Yearly updates. OECD Data Explorer, https://data-explorer.oecd.org/.

OECD – Public finance by function - Government at a glance indicators, Yearly updates

This dataset represents a selection of indicators as presented in the 2025 edition of the Government at a Glance publication related to expenditures disaggregated according to the Classification of the Functions of Government (COFOG) under the System of National Accounts (SNA). Government at a Glance provides a dashboard of indicators assembled to help decision makers and the public analyse and benchmark governments across OECD members and partner countries. With a growing emphasis on governance outcomes, this ninth edition presents the latest evidence on public governance tools and resources that can help public administrations address complex, long-term challenges, while allowing progress to be monitored over time. The Structure and indicators section of the Government at a Glance publication, describes its framework and the structure by chapters.

The 2025 edition of Government at a Glance presents a structure around three broad categories:

  1. Trust, security and dignity; prosperity and satisfaction with public services;
  2. Achieving results with good governance practices;
  3. What resources public institutions use and how are they managed.

Further information on Government at a Glance 2025 edition via a dedicated web platform, which includes a Government at a Glance Data dashboard (for a selection of indicators in an interactive format) as well as Country fact sheets (key data by country), can be found at: Government at a Glance website.

Retrieved on
April 1, 2026
Retrieved from
https://data-explorer.oecd.org/
Citation
This is the citation of the original data obtained from the source, prior to any processing or adaptation by Our World in Data. To cite data downloaded from this page, please use the suggested citation given in Reuse This Work below.
OECD (2026). Public finance by function - Government at a glance indicators, Yearly updates. OECD Data Explorer, https://data-explorer.oecd.org/.

This dataset represents a selection of indicators as presented in the 2025 edition of the Government at a Glance publication related to expenditures disaggregated according to the Classification of the Functions of Government (COFOG) under the System of National Accounts (SNA). Government at a Glance provides a dashboard of indicators assembled to help decision makers and the public analyse and benchmark governments across OECD members and partner countries. With a growing emphasis on governance outcomes, this ninth edition presents the latest evidence on public governance tools and resources that can help public administrations address complex, long-term challenges, while allowing progress to be monitored over time. The Structure and indicators section of the Government at a Glance publication, describes its framework and the structure by chapters.

The 2025 edition of Government at a Glance presents a structure around three broad categories:

  1. Trust, security and dignity; prosperity and satisfaction with public services;
  2. Achieving results with good governance practices;
  3. What resources public institutions use and how are they managed.

Further information on Government at a Glance 2025 edition via a dedicated web platform, which includes a Government at a Glance Data dashboard (for a selection of indicators in an interactive format) as well as Country fact sheets (key data by country), can be found at: Government at a Glance website.

Retrieved on
April 1, 2026
Retrieved from
https://data-explorer.oecd.org/
Citation
This is the citation of the original data obtained from the source, prior to any processing or adaptation by Our World in Data. To cite data downloaded from this page, please use the suggested citation given in Reuse This Work below.
OECD (2026). Public finance by function - Government at a glance indicators, Yearly updates. OECD Data Explorer, https://data-explorer.oecd.org/.

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Citations

How to cite this page

To cite this page overall, including any descriptions, FAQs or explanations of the data authored by Our World in Data, please use the following citation:

“Data Page: Government procurement spending as share of total government spending”, part of the following publication: Esteban Ortiz-Ospina, Bertha Rohenkohl, Pablo Arriagada, and Max Roser (2016) - “Government Spending”. Data adapted from OECD. Retrieved from https://archive.ourworldindata.org/20260518-090244/grapher/gov-procurement-share-gov-expenditure.html [online resource] (archived on May 18, 2026).

How to cite this data

In-line citationIf you have limited space (e.g. in data visualizations), you can use this abbreviated in-line citation:

OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data

Full citation

OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. “Government procurement spending as share of total government spending – OECD” [dataset]. OECD, “Public finance main indicators - Government at a glance, Yearly updates”; OECD, “Size of public procurement - Government at a glance indicators, Yearly updates”; OECD, “Public finance by economic transaction - Government at a glance indicators, Yearly updates”; OECD, “Public finance by function - Government at a glance indicators, Yearly updates” [original data]. Retrieved May 18, 2026 from https://archive.ourworldindata.org/20260518-090244/grapher/gov-procurement-share-gov-expenditure.html (archived on May 18, 2026).

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