List of countries by public sector size

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 Chinese economic reform 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

Country	OECD (%)[1][2][3]	ILO (%)[4][11][12][13]	Other estimates (%)
Afghanistan		8.3 (2021)
Angola		14.6 (2014)
Albania		14.4 (2019)
American Samoa		25.0 (2012)
Argentina		17.8 (2022)
Armenia	19.3 (2020)	19.4 (2020)
Australia	20.4 (2012)	28.9 (2020)
Austria	15.2 (2014)	8.0 (2022)
Azerbaijan		21.9 (2022)	21.7 (World Bank publication, 2009)[14]
Bahamas		33.7 (2009)
Bangladesh		3.1 (2017)
Bahrain		9.6 (2012	8.4*[a] (Baldwin-Edwards, 2010)[15]
Barbados		17.1 (2019)
Belarus		39.3 (2015)	72.0 (World Bank publication, 2010),[5] 40.1 (BelStat, 2017)[16]
Belgium	21.5 (2013)	21.1 (2019)
Bermuda		12.1 (2012)
Bhutan		25.0 (2022)
Bolivia		7.7 (2022)
Bosnia and Herzegovina		24.5 (2022)
Botswana		18.0 (2022)
Brazil	12.1 (2013)	12.1 (2022)
Bulgaria		21.1 (2019)
Cameroon		9.8 (2014)
Canada	22.4 (2013)	21.2 (2022)
Chile	14.0 (2013)	9.4 (2022)
China		28.0 (2012)
Colombia	10.0 (2013)	4.2 (2022)	5.3*[b] (2017, Public Spending and Investment Commission),[18] 6.8 (2017, Colombian Insurers Federation)[19]
Costa Rica		12.4 (2022)
Croatia		29.8 (2020)
Czech Republic	18.0 (2013)	15.4 (2015)
Cuba		77.0 (2010)
Denmark	32.9 (2011)	30.2 (2020)
Dominican Republic		13.8 (2022)
Ecuador		7.0 (2022)
Egypt		21.2 (2020)
El Salvador		8.1 (2022)
Estonia	22.0 (2013)	23.8 (2019)
Ethiopia		6.6 (2021)
Finland	27.0 (2013)	26.1 (2019)
France	28.0 (2013)	20.0 (2022)
Gambia		8.0 (2023)
Georgia		17.7 (2019)	21.1 (World Bank publication, 2009)[14]
Ghana		6.4 (2017)
Germany	15.3 (2012)	12.9 (2013)
Greece	14.6 (2012)	21.3 (2019)
Greenland		40.2 (2015)
Guatemala		6.1 (2022)
Guinea		6.8 (2018)
Haiti		9.0 (2012)
Hong Kong		7.1 (2014)
Hungary	24.8 (2012)	30.4 (2018)
Iceland	24.95 (2019)		Source: OECD National Accounts Statistics (database))[23]<
India		3.80 (2014)	4.7*[c] (2002)[24] 3.80 (World Bank Data and Reserve Bank of India Data, 2012)[25][26]
Indonesia		8.7 (2022)
Iran		14.9 (2020)
Iraq		37.4 (2021)
Ireland	19.5 (2014)	21.9 (2019)
Israel	20.7 (2007)	31.4 (2021)
Italy	18.3 (2013)	16.0 (2013)
Japan	12.9 (2014)	7.7 (2019)
Jordan		24.3 (2019)
Kazakhstan		23.3 (2012)	20.8 (World Bank publication, 2009)[14]
Kosovo		27.8 (2020)	20.8 (World Bank publication, 2009)[14]
Kuwait		18.6 (2016)	18.5*[a] (Baldwin-Edwards, 2008)[15]
Kyrgyzstan		17.0 (2021)	15.1 (World Bank publication, 2009)[14]
Laos		11.4 (2017)
Latvia	31.2 (2013)	29.0 (2020)
Liberia		40.3 (2017)
Liechtenstein		7.1 (2015)
Lithuania		26.9 (2019)	24.0 (World Bank publication, 2010)[5]
Luxembourg	22.1 (2011)	11.7 (2018)
Macau		6.5 (2014)
Madagascar		4.0 (2015)
Malaysia		15.1 (2019)
Mali		2.38 (2020)
Mauritius		18.1 (2019)
Mexico	13.8 (2013)	11.8 (2022)
Moldova		16.2 (2022)	41.0 (World Bank publication, 2010)[5]
Mongolia		36.6 (2022)
Montenegro			32.2 (2021)[27][28]
Morocco		8.4 (2022)
New Zealand	13.4 (2011)	11.5 (2011)
Nicaragua		8.1 (2012)
Nigeria		3.6 (2022)
Netherlands	17.3 (2013)	19.9 (2019)
North Macedonia		25.6 (2022)
Norway	35.6 (2013)	32.2 (2020)
OECD	21.3*[d] (2013)
Oman		78.7 (2020)	14.0*[a] (Baldwin-Edwards, 2008)[15]
Pakistan		7.3 (2021)
Palestine		20.9 (2022)
Panama		16.1 (2022)
Paraguay		10.5 (2022)
Peru		8.2 (2022)
Philippines		9.1 (2019)
Poland	25.2 (2013)	23.6 (2019)	16.0 (World Bank publication, 2010)[5]
Portugal	18.4 (2014)	14.7 (2014)
Qatar		11.3 (2022)	12.1*[a] (Baldwin-Edwards, 2009)[15]
Romania		16.0 (2019)	15.3 (INS, 2015)[29]
Russia		40.6 (2011)	31.0 (2016, IMF)[30]
Rwanda		5.6 (2022)
Saint Lucia		17.6 (2022)
San Marino		23.4 (2022)
Saudi Arabia		35.3	35.3*[a] (Baldwin-Edwards, 2008)[15]
Senegal		6.3 (2019)
Serbia		23.3 (2022)
Seychelles		44.3 (2020)
Singapore		9.9 (2022)
Slovakia	18.2 (2013)	28.0 (2022)
Slovenia	20.9 (2012)	20.9 (2012)
South Africa	17.4 (2013)	15.7 (2022)
South Korea	11.6 (2013)	10.3 (2014)
Spain	17.9 (2014)	16.3 (2019)
Sri Lanka		14.8 (2019)
Sweden	29.9 (2013)	29.3 (2020)
Switzerland	18.0 (2014)	15.3 (2022)
Tajikistan			33.0 (World Bank publication, 2010)[5]
Tanzania		4.6 (2020)
Thailand		9.6 (2022)
Trinidad and Tobago		22.9 (2021)
Turkey	15.9 (2011)	15.0 (2022)
Uganda		4.1 (2017)
Ukraine	26.7 (2012)	26.5 (2013)
United Arab Emirates		10.2 (2021)
United Kingdom	21.5 (2013)	22.5 (2020)	16.7 (House of Commons Library, 2020)[31]
United States	17.6 [not included in dataset] (2013)	13.4 (2022)	19.2 (Mercatus publication, 2013)[32]
Uruguay		15.7 (2022)
Uzbekistan		18.2 (2019)
Venezuela		24.3 (2020)
Vietnam		7.6 (2022)
Yemen		19.3 (2014)
Zambia		6.7 (2019)
Zimbabwe		12.1 (2019)

1. 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. The number of employees in Colombia's public sector is underestimated because subcontracting and outsourcing are common in many government agencies.
3. India's public sector still accounted for 69% of the country's organised workforce.
4. OECD average for 2013 does not include Australia, the Czech Republic, Germany, South Korea, Ireland and Portugal.

See also

• List of countries by employment rate
• List of countries by government spending as percentage of GDP
• List of countries by labour force
• Public sector