Proportion of total government spending on essential services in United States of America

United States of America: Proportion of total government spending on essential services was 59.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
59.8%
Change on year
down 4.5%
World rank
37th
of 127 countries
All-time high
62.7%
in 2022
All-time low
54.7%
in 2005
Years of data
24
2000–2023

Proportion of total government spending on essential services in United States of America, 2000–2023

02040602000201120232000: 55 %2001: 55 %2002: 55.6 %2003: 55.3 %2004: 55.4 %2005: 54.7 %2006: 55.4 %2007: 55.2 %2008: 55.8 %2009: 55.7 %2010: 56.9 %2011: 57 %2012: 57.4 %2013: 58.8 %2014: 59.6 %2015: 60.7 %2016: 60.6 %2017: 60.5 %2018: 60.1 %2019: 60 %2020: 60.5 %2021: 61.9 %2022: 62.7 %2023: 59.8 %

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2023, proportion of total government spending on essential services in United States of America stood at 59.8%.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.5% on the previous year and up 1.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of total government spending on essential services in United States of America peaked at 62.7% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 54.7%, in 2005.

That places United States of America 37th out of 127 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.

Proportion of total government spending on essential services in United States of America, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of total government spending on essential services (%) in United States of America, 2000 to 2023.
Year % Change
2000 55.0%
2001 55.0% -0.0%
2002 55.6% +1.1%
2003 55.3% -0.6%
2004 55.4% +0.2%
2005 54.7% -1.2%
2006 55.4% +1.2%
2007 55.2% -0.3%
2008 55.8% +1.0%
2009 55.7% -0.0%
2010 56.9% +2.1%
2011 57.0% +0.1%
2012 57.4% +0.8%
2013 58.8% +2.4%
2014 59.6% +1.3%
2015 60.7% +1.8%
2016 60.6% -0.1%
2017 60.5% -0.2%
2018 60.1% -0.6%
2019 60.0% -0.2%
2020 60.5% +0.8%
2021 61.9% +2.3%
2022 62.7% +1.3%
2023 59.8% -4.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 55.3% 54.7% 55.8% 10
2010s 59.1% 56.9% 60.7% 10
2020s 61.2% 59.8% 62.7% 4

Countries ranked near United States of America

  1. 34 Estonia 60.8% compare
  2. 35 Slovakia 60.4% compare
  3. 36 Bulgaria 60.3% compare
  4. 38 Serbia 59.1% compare
  5. 39 Italy 58.7% compare
  6. 40 Brazil 58.2% compare

See the full ranking of 131 places →

More infrastructure data for United States of America

All data for United States of America →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of total government spending on essential services in United States of America?
Proportion of total government spending on essential services in United States of America was 59.8% in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in United States of America?
The highest recorded value was 62.7% in 2022.
What is the lowest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in United States of America?
The lowest recorded value was 54.7% in 2005.
How does United States of America rank for proportion of total government spending on essential services?
United States of America ranks 37th out of 127 countries with data for 2023.
Is proportion of total government spending on essential services rising or falling in United States of America?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United States of America data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of total government spending on essential services (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of total government spending on essential services in United States of America. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-total-government-spending-on-essential-services-percent/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of total government spending on essential services (%)
Unit
%
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
131 places, 2,402 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed