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World Bank Group · Public Sector Wage Bill
Public sector wage bill by country
How much does the state spend on its employees' pay, compared with the economy?
Of the 168 countries compared in 2022, Nauru had the highest reading, 42.6451%, and India had the lowest reading, 0.9773%. In the middle country the figure was 7.9748%. Among the 143 countries measured in every edition since 2000, the middle one moved from 7.5159% to 7.9752%.
Public sector wage bill · 2022
Context statistic
Highest of 168Nauru
42.6451%012022 · position · derived
The highest and the lowest
The three countries with the highest values of 168 compared, the three with the lowest, and the highest on each continent. This statistic has no better end, so no country is shown as leading.
- 1
- 2
- 3
Lowest in 2022
- 168
India0.9773% - 167
Venezuela1.4338% - 166
Bangladesh1.6069%
Positions out of 168. This statistic has no better end: the two ends describe size, not success.
02Every measured country
Public sector wage bill on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value. This statistic has no better end, so the shades describe size, not success.
- 0.9773–4.7892%
- 4.8314–6.6375%
- 6.6418–8.9950%
- 9.1151–11.4843%
- 11.5600–42.6451%
- No reading in 2022 (18 measured in an earlier edition)
- Oceania
14.1331%
the middle country, of 12 measured · 21 members
Nauru42.6451%
Papua New Guinea5.5364%Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Europe
10.3712%
the middle country, of 38 measured · 49 members
Iceland14.8505%
Albania4.3214%Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Americas
7.5064%
the middle country, of 33 measured · 48 members
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines13.7238%Venezuela1.4338%Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Asia
6.2538%
the middle country, of 33 measured · 52 members
Kuwait16.8344%India0.9773%Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Africa
5.9191%
the middle country, of 52 measured · 55 members
Lesotho19.5322%
Nigeria1.6879%Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Every region
21 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Southern Africa
13.8613%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Lesotho19.5322%
South Africa10.2363%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
- Northern Europe
11.4050%
the middle country, of 10 measured · 13 members
Iceland14.8505%
Ireland5.8618%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Northern Africa
10.7347%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 6 members
Tunisia15.0569%
Sudan2.8000%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- Southern Europe
10.5990%
the middle country, of 12 measured · 17 members
Malta12.0534%Albania4.3214%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- Western Europe
10.1228%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 9 members
France12.4178%
Switzerland7.4140%Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Eastern Europe
9.9630%
the middle country, of 9 measured · 10 members
Russia10.9021%
Bulgaria6.6418%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Western Asia
8.4448%
the middle country, of 14 measured · 19 members
Kuwait16.8344%
Georgia3.1076%Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Caribbean
8.3721%
the middle country, of 13 measured · 24 members
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines13.7238%
Haiti3.2002%Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- South America
6.8156%
the middle country, of 12 measured · 12 members
Bolivia12.9944%Venezuela1.4338%Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- Central America
6.6375%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 8 members
El Salvador12.0560%
Guatemala4.1317%Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- Eastern Africa
5.9191%
the middle country, of 18 measured · 19 members
Eritrea16.5396%
Somalia3.0985%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- South-eastern Asia
5.8362%
the middle country, of 9 measured · 11 members
Cambodia8.2660%
Myanmar3.6017%Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Western Africa
5.6043%
the middle country, of 16 measured · 16 members
Cabo Verde10.8803%Nigeria1.6879%Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
- Middle Africa
4.6340%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 9 members
São Tomé and Príncipe10.4837%
Equatorial Guinea2.0763%Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.
- Southern Asia
2.8326%
the middle country, of 6 measured · 9 members
Maldives10.9324%India0.9773%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
- Australia and New Zealand
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
New Zealand9.2524%
Australia7.9671%Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Central Asia
4 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan.
Kyrgyzstan14.7336%
Kazakhstan3.5569%Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- Melanesia
4 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu.
Vanuatu16.6046%Papua New Guinea5.5364%Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.
- Micronesia
3 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru.
Nauru42.6451%
Micronesia18.0481%Highest and lowest reading in Micronesia.
- Northern America
1 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: United States.
United States9.2575%Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.
- Polynesia
3 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu.
Tuvalu31.3127%
Samoa13.6511%Highest and lowest reading in Polynesia.
03The whole field at once
The spread
168 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 7.9748%; a quarter are above 10.7527%, and a quarter below 5.3725%. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 186 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. “=” marks a position shared with another country. World Bank Group ranks nobody on this measure; the position is derived here by ordering the published values. Neither end is the good end. A large wage bill can mean an expensive state or one that runs its own hospitals and schools instead of contracting them out; a small one can mean lean government or an inability to pay teachers. Read it beside public sector employment — this is pay, that is headcount.
Showing 25 of 186 countries
Values for 2022. The change column compares 2022 with 2021 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
052000–2022 · 23 reference years
Over time
Each point is one year from 2000.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- the middle of the 143 countries measured every time
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half | Measured every time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 168 | 7.9748% | 5.3725% – 10.7527% | 7.9752% |
| 2021 | 176 | 8.6032% | 5.5285% – 11.0877% | 8.5990% |
| 2020 | 181 | 9.1549% | 5.8259% – 11.8831% | 8.9825% |
| 2019 | 184 | 7.9489% | 5.2564% – 10.6315% | 7.9078% |
| 2018 | 184 | 7.9615% | 5.2460% – 10.5998% | 7.9804% |
| 2017 | 184 | 7.7629% | 5.3613% – 10.6763% | 8.0322% |
| 2016 | 183 | 8.1201% | 5.4744% – 10.8454% | 8.3875% |
| 2015 | 182 | 8.0047% | 5.4052% – 10.8005% | 7.9962% |
| 2014 | 182 | 8.0727% | 5.0816% – 10.9331% | 8.0150% |
| 2013 | 182 | 7.8193% | 5.0259% – 10.7777% | 7.8423% |
| 2012 | 180 | 7.9760% | 4.9076% – 11.0449% | 7.8878% |
| 2011 | 179 | 7.9896% | 4.7888% – 10.6391% | 7.9508% |
| 2010 | 178 | 8.0656% | 4.9271% – 10.7911% | 8.0257% |
| 2009 | 178 | 8.2790% | 4.9609% – 11.2682% | 8.1837% |
| 2008 | 177 | 7.5081% | 4.6256% – 9.9934% | 7.4848% |
| 2007 | 172 | 7.2691% | 4.6622% – 9.8778% | 7.2808% |
| 2006 | 172 | 6.9894% | 4.6114% – 10.0314% | 7.1715% |
| 2005 | 172 | 7.1209% | 4.6254% – 10.0382% | 7.4889% |
| 2004 | 170 | 7.2317% | 4.7788% – 10.1859% | 7.3206% |
| 2003 | 167 | 7.3647% | 4.7533% – 10.5436% | 7.4488% |
| 2002 | 163 | 7.6554% | 4.6201% – 10.7636% | 7.5878% |
| 2001 | 154 | 7.6676% | 4.5144% – 10.5169% | 7.6223% |
| 2000 | 151 | 7.5389% | 4.4403% – 10.5949% | 7.5159% |
062021 → 2022
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions — reference years recalculated in one report, not two separate publications. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
Rose most
before → after- Tuvalu23.5465% → 31.3127% · 3rd → 2nd+7.7662
- Nauru38.6765% → 42.6451% · 1st → 1st+3.9686
- Kyrgyzstan11.5523% → 14.7336% · 41st → 11th+3.1813
- Lesotho16.7461% → 19.5322% · 7th → 4th+2.7861
- Russia8.8103% → 10.9021% · 85th → 38th+2.0919
Fell most
before → after- Kuwait21.4397% → 16.8344% · 5th → 6th−4.6053
Iraq14.1591% → 10.7050% · 18th → 45th−3.4541
Saudi Arabia15.8591% → 13.2045% · 11th → 19th−2.6546
Brunei10.5674% → 7.9752% · 55th → 84th−2.5922
Guyana4.8359% → 2.9060% · 144th → 160th−1.9299
168 countries were measured in both 2021 and 2022. The field changed from 176 to 168 countries, so a place can move for reasons that have nothing to do with the country itself.
07Across every edition
Public sector wage bill in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
45.1073%
Public sector wage bill (% of GDP)
Lowest reading on record
0.3584%
Public sector wage bill (% of GDP)
Biggest rise between editions
+22.8237
12.0167% → 34.8404%
Biggest fall between editions
−18.8060
34.8404% → 16.0344%
Biggest change since first measured
+28.6080
14.0371% → 42.6451%
Highest most often
10 of 23
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08The measure
About public sector wage bill
This is what a country spends on the pay of its public employees, measured against the size of its whole economy. It is one of the few direct measures of the machinery of the state rather than of how well that state is thought to work.
What the number is: Public sector wage bill (% of GDP).
09Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
Context, with no vote
This statistic is published in full under Governance & Institutions and Economy & Innovation, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.
Governance & InstitutionsEconomy & InnovationWhich statistics vote, and why
Moves with
Where public sector wage bill is higher, these tend to be higher too.
- General Government ConsumptionWorld Bank Group · 117 countries in commonρ 0.68
- Government Spending on EducationKeyUIS · 99 countries in commonρ 0.64
- Ecological FootprintKeyGlobal Footprint Network · 108 countries in commonρ 0.57
Moves against
Where public sector wage bill is higher, these tend to be lower.
- INFORM Risk IndexKeyEuropean Commission Joint Research Centre, with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee · 166 countries in commonρ −0.51
- Informal Employment RateILO · 86 countries in commonρ −0.51
- Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Value Added (% of GDP)World Bank Group · 144 countries in commonρ −0.50
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 121 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
10Keep reading
Explore further
The countries at either end
More from World Bank Group
11Questions
Public sector wage bill: questions and answers
Which country has the highest public sector wage bill?
Nauru, at 42.6451%, among the 168 countries compared in 2022.
Which country has the lowest public sector wage bill?
India, at 0.9773%, among the 168 countries compared in 2022.
How many countries does the Public Sector Wage Bill cover?
168 in 2022, and 186 at least once across all editions. The number measured varies from 151 to 184 between editions.
What is the world average public sector wage bill?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 168 compared in 2022, the figure was 7.9748%.
Is this World Bank Group’s own ranking?
No. World Bank Group publishes the values but ranks nobody; the position on this page is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values, and equal values share a position.
How often is the Public Sector Wage Bill published?
This site holds 23 reference years, 2000–2022, all recalculated in World Bank Group’s 2026 report on one method — not 23 separate publications.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From World Bank Group, under CC BY 4.0. The World Bank's Worldwide Bureaucracy Indicators, through its indicator API (BI.WAG.TOTL.GD.ZS). Every edition is available on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, unrounded.
12Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
Public Sector Wage Bill — World Bank Group
The World Bank's Worldwide Bureaucracy Indicators, through its indicator API (BI.WAG.TOTL.GD.ZS).
Newest edition
Report year 2022Data year 2022
Cite the source as: World Bank. Worldwide Bureaucracy Indicators. Washington, DC: World Bank Group.
Licence: CC BY 4.0, checked 2026-09-11.
How this page reads the numbers
- World Bank Group ranks nobody on this measure. The position is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values; equal values share a position.
- This statistic has no better end, so the page describes higher and lower values and never calls a country a leader.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The full note on this data
23 reference years (2000–2022), covering 151 to 184 countries, from the World Bank's Worldwide Bureaucracy Indicators (BI.WAG.TOTL.GD.ZS). What a country pays its public employees, as a share of the whole economy. It measures the MACHINERY of the state, where the governance indices already on the site measure perceptions of it. ⚠ NEITHER END IS BETTER: a large wage bill is an expensive state, or one that delivers health and education through its own staff rather than buying them in; a small one is lean government, or a country that cannot pay for teachers. Nothing in the number says which. ⚠ IT IS PAY, NOT HEADCOUNT — a country can employ few people expensively or many people cheaply and land in the same place, which is why public sector employment is a separate indicator here. ⚠ The WBI has no page in the World Development Indicators and does not turn up by searching for "bureaucracy"; it was found by pulling the indicator API's whole 25,000-row catalogue and grepping it. No rank is published, so none is stored; the POSITION is derived here and labelled as ours.
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Public sector wage bill by country: Public Sector Wage Bill, data from World Bank Group. https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/public-wage-bill