List of countries by public sector size explained

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

List

Country	data-sort-type="number"	OECD (%) !	data-sort-type="number"	ILO (%)^[10] ^[11] ^[12] !	data-sort-type="number"	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)^[13]
Bahamas		33.7 (2009)
Bangladesh		3.1 (2017)
Bahrain		9.6 (2012	8.4* (Baldwin-Edwards, 2010)^[14]
Barbados		17.1 (2019)
Belarus		39.3 (2015)	72.0 (World Bank publication, 2010), 40.1 (BelStat, 2017)^[15]
Belgium	21.5 (2013)	21.1 (2019)
Bermuda		12.1 (2012)
Bhutan		25.0 (2022)
		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)	7.89 (Chinese Government, 2021)^[16]
Colombia	10.0 (2013)	4.2 (2022)	5.3* (2017, Public Spending and Investment Commission),^[17] 6.8 (2017, Colombian Insurers Federation)^[18]
Costa Rica		12.4 (2022)
Croatia		29.8 (2020)
Czech Republic	18.0 (2013)	15.4 (2015)
Cuba		77.0 (2010)	72.0 (2014, Third World Quarterly)^[19] 72.8 (2018, Statistical Yearbook of Cuba)^[20] 65.0 (2022, OIEI) ^[21]
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)
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)
India		3.80 (2014)	4.7* (2002)^[22] 3.80 (World Bank Data and Reserve Bank of India Data, 2012)^[23] ^[24]
Indonesia		8.7 (2022)
		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)
		27.8 (2020)	20.8 (World Bank publication, 2009)
Kuwait		18.6 (2016)	18.5* (Baldwin-Edwards, 2008)
Kyrgyzstan		17.0 (2021)	15.1 (World Bank publication, 2009)
		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)
Luxembourg	22.1 (2011)	11.7 (2018)
		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)
		16.2 (2022)	41.0 (World Bank publication, 2010)
Mongolia		36.6 (2022)
Montenegro			32.2 (2021)^[25] ^[26]
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)
		25.6 (2022)
Norway	35.6 (2013)	32.2 (2020)
OECD	21.3* (2013)
Oman		78.7 (2020)	14.0* (Baldwin-Edwards, 2008)
Pakistan		7.3 (2021)
		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)
Portugal	18.4 (2014)	14.7 (2014)
Qatar		11.3 (2022)	12.1* (Baldwin-Edwards, 2009)
Romania		16.0 (2019)	15.3 (INS, 2015)^[27]
		40.6 (2011)	31.0 (2016, IMF)^[28]
Rwanda		5.6 (2022)
Saint Lucia		17.6 (2022)
San Marino		23.4 (2022)
Saudi Arabia		35.3	35.3* (Baldwin-Edwards, 2008)
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)
	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)
		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)^[29]
United States	17.6 [not included in dataset] (2013)	13.4 (2022)	19.2 (Mercatus publication, 2013)^[30]
Uruguay		15.7 (2022)
Uzbekistan		18.2 (2019)
		24.3 (2020)
		7.6 (2022)
Yemen		19.3 (2014)
Zambia		6.7 (2019)
Zimbabwe		12.1 (2019)

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

Notes and References

1. Employment in the public sector. Government at a Glance 2015. OECD Publishing. Paris. OECD. 2015. 10.1787/g2224992d2-en. 242295583 . June 16, 2018.
2. Employment in general government and public corporations. Government at a Glance 2013. OECD Publishing. Paris. OECD. 2013.
3. Employment in General Government and Public Corporations. Government at a Glance 2011. OECD Publishing. Paris. OECD. 2011.
4. Web site: Share of employment in the public sector by sex (%). International Labour Organization. 20 October 2015.
5. Book: Omar S. Arias . Carolina Sánchez-Páramo . María E. Dávalos . Indhira Santos . Erwin R. Tiongson . Carola Gruen . Natasha de Andrade Falcão . Gady Saiovici . Cesar A. Cancho . Back to Work: Growing with Jobs in Europe and Central Asia. World Bank Publications. 2014. 978-0-8213-9911-8. 86, 101.
6. Book: Zeng, Jin. 2013. State-Led Privatization in China: The Politics of Economic Reform. Routledge. 978-1-134-46489-0. 52–53.
7. http://www.xf.gov.cn/zxzx/gjj/202001/t20200123_2016545.shtml
8. Web site: 国家统计局局长就2019年全年国民经济运行情况答记者问.
9. News: CHART OF THE DAY: Guess Which Country Has The Highest Percentage Of Workers Employed By The Government. Business Insider. 2017-02-09. en.
10. Web site: Home - LOSTAT - the leading source of labour statistics.
11. Web site: Home - ILOSTAT - the leading source of labour statistics.
12. Web site: ILO Data Explorer.
13. Book: Indermit S. Gill . Ivailo Izvorski . Willem van Eeghen . Donato De Rosa . Diversified Development: Making the Most of Natural Resources in Eurasia. World Bank Publications. 2014. 978-1-4648-0120-4. 164.
14. Baldwin-Edwards, Martin. 2011. Labour immigration and labour markets in the GCC countries: national patterns and trends.. Kuwait Programme on Development, Governance and Globalisation in the Gulf States. 15. The London School of Economics and Political Science. London. 15.
15. http://www.belstat.gov.by/ofitsialnaya-statistika/solialnaya-sfera/trud/godovye-dannye/raspredelenie-chislennosti-zanyatogo-naseleniya-po-formam-sobstvennosti1/ National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus, "Численность занятого населения по формам собственности"
16. https://data.stats.gov.cn/english/easyquery.htm?cn=C01
17. Web site: La austeridad de Duque: ¿es posible reducir la burocracia?. 19 November 2018.
18. Web site: ¿Cuántos empleados públicos?.
19. Economic transformations in Cuba: a review. 2 June 2016. 10.1080/01436597.2016.1177454 . Torres . Ricardo . Third World Quarterly . 37 . 9 . 1683–1697 . 156099431 .
20. Web site: El establecimiento de PYMES en Cuba pudiera aumentar el Producto Interno Bruto entre 1,5 y 1,7% . 28 April 2020 .
21. Web site: Precarious Work in Cuba: An Introduction | Cuba Capacity Building Project .
22. Book: Kumar, Rajiv. 2008. India and the Global Economy. Academic Foundation. 978-81-7188-661-6. 246.
23. Web site: Labor force, total - India | Data.
24. Web site: Reserve Bank of India - Publications.
25. Web site: Mjesečni statistički pregled . 2021-05-16 . Monstat. Montenegrin.
26. Web site: Na državnim jaslama preko 50.000 zaposlenih . 2021-05-16 . Investitor.me . Montenegrin.
27. News: 84 pct of Romania's employed population work in the private sector, says INS. Business Review. 30 April 2015.
28. The Russian State's Size and its Footprint: Have They Increased?. 2 June 2016.
29. Web site: Foley . Niamh . 2 December 2020 . Briefing paper: Public sector employment by parliamentary constituency . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210516211045/https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN05635/SN05635.pdf . 16 May 2021 . PDF . 5 June 2023 . UK Parliament . House of Commons Library.
30. News: Government-Financed Employment and the Real Private Sector in the 50 States. 2013-11-25. Mercatus Center. 2018-10-24. en.