<p>The answer seems to be Kiribati, with a whooping 92%.</p>

<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_spending#As_a_Percentage_of_GDP" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_spending#As_a_Percentage_of_GDP</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-06T11:07:27.693Z
As Kiribati has a 110,000 population only, I would say that the 2nd and 3d highest countries Cuba and Libya, that have a percentage of government spending at 67% i.e. two thirds of GDP, perhaps provide a more useful hint as to what the socio-economic structure may sustain.
Alecos Papadopoulos
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-06T14:10:08.487Z
In the case of Kiribati, GNI (gross national income) is much larger than GDP (see [here](http://www.mfed.gov.ki/statistics/51-economic-statistics/78-gross-national-income-and-gross-national-disposable-income).  So expressing public spending as a % of GDP may be less meaningful than for most other countries.
Adam Bailey
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-06T16:48:31.513Z
Agree with the other two comments.
nathanwww
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-06T22:35:51.257Z
@nathanwww That's funny because Alecos's comment only has one upvote and that is mine.
Giskard
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-06T10:30:57.910Z
2018-04-06T10:30:57.910Z
Giskard
<p>Using the data in the wikipedia link provided by @denesp we have the following picture, based on (2014 I think) Public Spending as percentage of GDP. The first column is GDP percentage bands, the second is the number of countries that fall in each band, the third column is the relative frequency, and the fourth the cumulative relative frequency. Total number of countries is $180$.</p>

<p>\begin{array}{| r | r | r | r|}
  \hline                       
\text{%GDP range}   &amp; \text {count} &amp; \text{rel. freq} &amp; \text{Cum. rel. freq}  \\
  \hline 
\hline                      
   0-5 &amp;0 &amp; \text{0.0%} &amp; \text{0.0%}
\\
  \hline                     
5-10 &amp; 0 &amp; \text{0.0%}&amp; \text{0.0%}
 \\
  \hline 
 10-15 &amp; 0 &amp; \text{0.0%} &amp; \text{0.0%}\\
\hline
15-20 &amp;18 &amp; \text{10.0%} &amp; \text{10.0%}\\
\hline
20-25 &amp;26 &amp;\text{14.4%} &amp;\text{24.4%}
 \\
\hline
25-30 &amp;31 &amp;\text{17.2%} &amp;\text{41.6%}
 \\
\hline
30-35 &amp;26 &amp;\text{14.4%} &amp;\text{56.0%}
 \\
\hline
35-40 &amp;29 &amp;\text{16.1%}  &amp;\text{72.1%}
 \\
\hline
40-45 &amp;17 &amp;\text{9.4%} &amp;\text{81.5%}
 \\
\hline
45-50 &amp;16 &amp;\text{8.9%} &amp;\text{90.4%}
 \\
\hline
50-55 &amp;9 &amp;\text{5.0%} &amp;\text{95.4%}
 \\
\hline
55-60 &amp;3 &amp;\text{1.7%} &amp;\text{97.1%}
 \\
\hline
60-65 &amp;1 &amp;\text{0.6%} &amp;\text{97.7%}
 \\
\hline
65-70 &amp;3 &amp;\text{1.7%} &amp;\text{99.4%}
 \\
\hline
70-75 &amp;0 &amp;\text{0.0%} &amp;\text{99.4%}
 \\
\hline
75-80 &amp;0 &amp;\text{0.0%} &amp;\text{99.4%}
 \\
\hline
80-85 &amp;0 &amp;\text{0.0%} &amp;\text{99.4%}
 \\  
\hline  
85-90 &amp;0 &amp;\text{0.0%} &amp;\text{99.4%}
 \\
\hline  
90-95 &amp;1 &amp;\text{0.6%} &amp;\text{100.0%}
 \\
\hline  
95-100 &amp;0 &amp;\text{0.0%} &amp;\text{100.0%}
 \\
\hline 
\end{array}</p>

<p>The data support a Gamma distribution with shape paramater $k=7.87$ and scale parameter $\theta = 4.29$, for which we have, ($X=$ Pubic spending as GDP %):</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/lmYfB.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/lmYfB.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>$$E(X) = 33.76 ,\;\; SD(X) = 12.3, median \approx 32.3$$</p>

<p>The empirical median is $32$ GDP percentage points.</p>

<p>Note that $90$% of the countries (163 entities in all) are below $50$% public spending as GDP percentage.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-06T16:47:52.410Z
Interesting, but the answer does not respond to the question
nathanwww
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-06T16:59:32.330Z
@nathanwww Another post has already provided the very short answer needed by the question. My post is an attempt to turn this thread into something more interesting as content.
Alecos Papadopoulos
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-06T17:10:22.630Z
It's an interesting way to portray the question. I'm not sure about the data source though, since there is at least one country in the 10% range according to this website: https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/Somalia/Government_size, however, the same data does not appear available from the source they reference.
nathanwww
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-06T12:22:53.973Z
2018-04-06T15:13:55.523Z
2018-04-06T15:13:55.523Z
Alecos Papadopoulos
<p>The article <a href="https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21739959-president-must-be-firm-not-arrogant-railway-strikes-test-macrons-reforms" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Railway strikes test Macron’s reforms - French strikes</a> states that "Mr Macron’s reform of SNCF is only part of a bigger effort to reshape the welfare state in a country where the public sector consumes 56% of GDP, the highest in the EU."</p>

<p>What country outside of the EU has the highest percentage of GDP in the public sector?</p>

<gdp>
In what country outside of the EU is the public sector the highest percentage of GDP?
Curious
# In what country outside of the EU is the public sector the highest percentage of GDP?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-04-06)

The article [Railway strikes test Macron’s reforms - French strikes](https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21739959-president-must-be-firm-not-arrogant-railway-strikes-test-macrons-reforms) states that "Mr Macron’s reform of SNCF is only part of a bigger effort to reshape the welfare state in a country where the public sector consumes 56% of GDP, the highest in the EU."

What country outside of the EU has the highest percentage of GDP in the public sector?

**Tags:** gdp

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-04-06. Score: 3

The answer seems to be Kiribati, with a whooping 92%.

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_spending#As_a_Percentage_of_GDP>

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: As Kiribati has a 110,000 population only, I would say that the 2nd and 3d highest countries Cuba and Libya, that have a percentage of government spending at 67% i.e. two thirds of GDP, perhaps provide a more useful hint as to what the socio-economic structure may sustain.  
> **username_3**: In the case of Kiribati, GNI (gross national income) is much larger than GDP (see [here](http://www.mfed.gov.ki/statistics/51-economic-statistics/78-gross-national-income-and-gross-national-disposable-income).  So expressing public spending as a % of GDP may be less meaningful than for most other countries.  
> **username_4**: Agree with the other two comments.  
> **username_1**: @nathanwww That's funny because Alecos's comment only has one upvote and that is mine.  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-04-06. Score: 3

Using the data in the wikipedia link provided by @denesp we have the following picture, based on (2014 I think) Public Spending as percentage of GDP. The first column is GDP percentage bands, the second is the number of countries that fall in each band, the third column is the relative frequency, and the fourth the cumulative relative frequency. Total number of countries is $180$.

\begin{array}{| r | r | r | r|}
\hline
\text{%GDP range} & \text {count} & \text{rel. freq} & \text{Cum. rel. freq} \\
\hline
\hline
0-5 &0 & \text{0.0%} & \text{0.0%}
\\
\hline
5-10 & 0 & \text{0.0%}& \text{0.0%}
\\
\hline
10-15 & 0 & \text{0.0%} & \text{0.0%}\\
\hline
15-20 &18 & \text{10.0%} & \text{10.0%}\\
\hline
20-25 &26 &\text{14.4%} &\text{24.4%}
\\
\hline
25-30 &31 &\text{17.2%} &\text{41.6%}
\\
\hline
30-35 &26 &\text{14.4%} &\text{56.0%}
\\
\hline
35-40 &29 &\text{16.1%} &\text{72.1%}
\\
\hline
40-45 &17 &\text{9.4%} &\text{81.5%}
\\
\hline
45-50 &16 &\text{8.9%} &\text{90.4%}
\\
\hline
50-55 &9 &\text{5.0%} &\text{95.4%}
\\
\hline
55-60 &3 &\text{1.7%} &\text{97.1%}
\\
\hline
60-65 &1 &\text{0.6%} &\text{97.7%}
\\
\hline
65-70 &3 &\text{1.7%} &\text{99.4%}
\\
\hline
70-75 &0 &\text{0.0%} &\text{99.4%}
\\
\hline
75-80 &0 &\text{0.0%} &\text{99.4%}
\\
\hline
80-85 &0 &\text{0.0%} &\text{99.4%}
\\
\hline
85-90 &0 &\text{0.0%} &\text{99.4%}
\\
\hline
90-95 &1 &\text{0.6%} &\text{100.0%}
\\
\hline
95-100 &0 &\text{0.0%} &\text{100.0%}
\\
\hline
\end{array}

The data support a Gamma distribution with shape paramater $k=7.87$ and scale parameter $\theta = 4.29$, for which we have, ($X=$ Pubic spending as GDP %):

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/lmYfB.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/lmYfB.png)

$$E(X) = 33.76 ,\;\; SD(X) = 12.3, median \approx 32.3$$

The empirical median is $32$ GDP percentage points.

Note that $90$% of the countries (163 entities in all) are below $50$% public spending as GDP percentage.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Interesting, but the answer does not respond to the question  
> **username_2**: @nathanwww Another post has already provided the very short answer needed by the question. My post is an attempt to turn this thread into something more interesting as content.  
> **username_4**: It's an interesting way to portray the question. I'm not sure about the data source though, since there is at least one country in the 10% range according to this website: https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/Somalia/Government_size, however, the same data does not appear available from the source they reference.  

---

