List of countries by public sector size

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of countries by public sector size, calculated as the number of public sector employees as a percentage of the total workforce. Information is based mainly on data from the OECD[1][2][3] and the ILO.[4] If a source has figures for more than one year, only the most recent figure is used (with notes for exceptional circumstances).

In the former Eastern Bloc countries, the public sector in 1989 accounted for between 70% and over 90% of total employment.[5] In China a full 78.3% of the urban labor force were employed in the public sector by 1978, the year the reform and opening up was launched, after which the rates dropped. Jin Zeng estimates the numbers were 56.4% in 1995 and 32.8% in 2003,[6] while other estimates are higher.[7][8][9] In 2021, public sector employees made up an estimated 23% of employees in China.[10]

In OECD countries, the average public sector employment rate was 21.3% in 2013.[1]

List

More information Country ...
CountryILO (%)[4][11][12][13]Other estimates (%)[1][2][3]
Afghanistan8.3 (2021)
Angola7.12 (2025)
Antigua and Barbuda29 (2018)
Albania15.13 (2024)
American Samoa25.0 (2012)
Argentina17.2 (2024)
Armenia18 (2023)19.3 (2020)
Australia28.9 (2021)20.4 (2012)
Austria20 (2022)15.2 (2014)
Azerbaijan21.9 (2022)21.7 (World Bank publication, 2009)[14]
Bahamas15.9 (2023)
Bangladesh3.1 (2017)
Bahrain9.6 (2012)8.4*[a] (Baldwin-Edwards, 2010)[15]
Barbados17.1 (2019)
Belarus39.3 (2015)72.0 (World Bank publication, 2010),[5]
40.1 (BelStat, 2017)[16]
Belgium21.1 (2019)21.5 (2013)
Bermuda12.1 (2012)
Bhutan25.0 (2022)
Bolivia7.7 (2022)
Bosnia and Herzegovina24.5 (2022)
Botswana18.0 (2022)
Brazil12.4 (2025)12.1 (2013)
Bulgaria21.1 (2019)
Burkina Faso3.42 (2024)
Burundi2.9 (2020)
Cameroon0.15 (2021)
Canada21.6 (2025)22.4 (2013)
Chile9.6 (2025)14.0 (2013)
China28.0 (2012)
Colombia4.2 (2022)5.3*[b] (2017, Public Spending and
Investment Commission),[18]
6.8 (2017, Colombian Insurers Federation)[19]
10.0 (2013)
Costa Rica12.4 (2022)
Croatia29.8 (2020)
Czech Republic15.4 (2015)18.0 (2013)
Cuba77.6 (2012)72.0 (2014, Third World Quarterly)[20] 72.8 (2018, Statistical Yearbook of Cuba)[21] 65.0 (2022, OIEI)[22]
Denmark30.2 (2020)32.9 (2011)
Dominican Republic13.8 (2022)
Ecuador7.0 (2022)
Egypt21.2 (2020)
El Salvador8.1 (2022)
Estonia23.8 (2019)22.0 (2013)
Ethiopia6.6 (2021)
Finland24.9 (2020)27.0 (2013)
France20.1 (2024)28.0 (2013)
Gambia8.0 (2023)
Georgia17.8 (2024)21.1 (World Bank publication, 2009)[14]
Ghana5.5 (2024)
Germany12.9 (2013)15.3 (2012)
Greece22.2 (2020)14.6 (2012)
Greenland40.2 (2015)
Guatemala6.1 (2022)
Guinea6.8 (2018)
Haiti9.0 (2012)
Hong Kong7.1 (2014)
Hungary30.4 (2018)24.8 (2012)
Iceland24.95 (2019)[23]
India3.80 (2014)4.7*[c] (2002)[24]
3.80 (World Bank Data and Reserve
Bank of India Data, 2012)[25][26]
Indonesia8.7 (2022)
Iran14.9 (2020)
Iraq37.4 (2021)
Ireland21.9 (2019)19.5 (2014)
Israel31.4 (2021)20.7 (2007)
Italy16.0 (2013)18.3 (2013)
Japan7.7 (2019)12.9 (2014)
Jordan24.3 (2019)
Kazakhstan23.3 (2012)20.8 (World Bank publication, 2009)[14]
Kosovo27.8 (2020)20.8 (World Bank publication, 2009)[14]
Kuwait18.6 (2016)18.5*[a] (Baldwin-Edwards, 2008)[15]
Kyrgyzstan17.0 (2021)15.1 (World Bank publication, 2009)[14]
Laos11.4 (2017)
Latvia29.0 (2020)31.2 (2013)
Liberia40.3 (2017)
Liechtenstein7.1 (2015)
Lithuania26.9 (2019)24.0 (World Bank publication, 2010)[5]
Luxembourg11.7 (2018)22.1 (2011)
Macau6.5 (2014)
Madagascar3.25 (2022)
Malaysia15.1 (2019)
Mali2.38 (2020)
Mauritius18.1 (2019)
Mexico11.8 (2022)13.8 (2013)
Moldova16.2 (2022)41.0 (World Bank publication, 2010)[5]
Mongolia36.6 (2022)
Montenegro32.2 (2021)[27][28]
Morocco8.4 (2022)
New Zealand11.5 (2011)13.4 (2011)
Nicaragua8.1 (2012)
Nigeria3.6 (2022)
Netherlands19.9 (2019)17.3 (2013)
North Macedonia25.6 (2022)
Norway32.2 (2020)35.6 (2013)
 OECD21.3*[d] (2013)
Oman16.2 (2022)14.0*[a] (Baldwin-Edwards, 2008)[15]
Pakistan7.3 (2021)
Palestine20.9 (2022)
Panama16.1 (2022)
Paraguay10.5 (2022)
Peru8.2 (2022)
Philippines9.1 (2019)
Poland23.6 (2019)16.0 (World Bank publication, 2010)[5]
25.2 (2013)
Portugal14.7 (2018)18.4 (2014)
Qatar11.3 (2022)12.1*[a] (Baldwin-Edwards, 2009)[15]
Romania16.0 (2019)15.3 (INS, 2015)[29]
Russia40.6 (2011)31.0 (2016, IMF)[30]
Rwanda5.6 (2022)
Saint Lucia17.6 (2022)
San Marino23.4 (2022)
Saudi Arabia35.3 (???)35.3*[a] (Baldwin-Edwards, 2008)[15]
Senegal6.3 (2019)
Serbia23.3 (2022)
Seychelles44.3 (2020)
Singapore9.9 (2022)
Slovakia28.0 (2022)18.2 (2013)
Slovenia23 (2019)20.9 (2012)
South Africa15.7 (2022)17.4 (2013)
South Korea10.7 (2019)11.6 (2013)
Spain16.3 (2019)17.9 (2014)
Sri Lanka14.8 (2019)
Sweden29.3 (2020)29.9 (2013)
 Switzerland15.3 (2022)18.0 (2014)
Tajikistan33.0 (World Bank publication, 2010)[5]
Tanzania4.6 (2020)
Thailand9.6 (2022)
Trinidad and Tobago22.9 (2021)
Turkey15.0 (2022)15.9 (2011)
Uganda4.1 (2017)
Ukraine26.5 (2013)26.7 (2012)
United Arab Emirates7.11 (2024)
United Kingdom23.9 (2025)16.7 (House of Commons Library, 2020)[31]
21.5 (2013)
United States13.4 (2025)19.2 (Mercatus publication, 2013)[32]
17.6 [not included in dataset] (2013)
Uruguay15.7 (2022)
Uzbekistan18.2 (2019)
Venezuela24.3 (2020)
Vietnam7.6 (2022)
Yemen19.3 (2014)
Zambia6.7 (2019)
Zimbabwe12.1 (2019)
Close
  1. [a]
    GCC estimates by Baldwin-Edwards are state employment as a proportion of total employment. The employment of nationals is primarily in the state sector, with migrant workers dominating the private sector.
  2. [b]
    The number of employees in Colombia's public sector is underestimated because subcontracting and outsourcing are common in many government agencies.
  3. [c]
    India's public sector still accounted for 69% of the country's organised workforce.
  4. [d]
    OECD average for 2013 does not include Australia, the Czech Republic, Germany, South Korea, Ireland and Portugal.

See also

References

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