The 2017 issue of the OECD Government at a Glance finds that government spending averaged 40.9% of GDP in OECD countries in 2015, up from 38.8% in 2007, before the crisis. The number of government jobs as a share of total employment remained little changed at 18.1% in 2015 versus 17.9% in 2007, although some countries have reported workforce reductions.
 
While ageing populations and high unemployment drove up social costs to 41% of overall spending in 2015 from 37% in 2007, governments used cost cuts and better efficiency to trim running costs to 37% of spending from 39%. Meanwhile, despite low interest rates, public investment has declined from a 2009 peak of 9.3% of spending to 7.7% in 2015.

On average, government employment dipped in 2011-12 then rebounded over 2014-15. The share of government employment decreased the most in the UK and Israel over 2007-15 and rose most in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Slovenia and Spain. Read more. 

A country factsheet summarizes key findings for the Czech Republic:

• In 2015, the Czech Republic had one of the highest shares of public investment to GDP among OECD countries
• The Czechs kept income inequality unchanged during the latest economic and financial crisis, which is a significant achievement
• The Czech Republic has a low uptake of digital services for citizens

View the Country factsheet. More country factsheets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: OECD

 

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