IBRD only: Compensation of employees (% of expense)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, IBRD only's compensation of employees (% of expense) rose 2.13 percentage points on 2022 (from 19.42% to 21.55%).

Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2022), the average change was −0.11 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.47 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.48 percentage points in 2005 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.49 percentage points in 2013. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.27 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 33% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

What this measures

Compensation of employees is defined as the total remuneration, in cash or in kind, payable by an enterprise to an employee in return for work done by the latter during the accounting period. This indicator is expressed as percentage of total expenses which is any decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction.

Limitations: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a median.

All 29 values

Compensation of employees (% of expense) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 33.95% (2017)
• Bahrain — 39.5% (2020)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 27.2% (2015)
• Israel — 22.43% (2023)
• Jordan — 46% (2023)
• Lebanon — 32.12% (2021)
• Malta — 26.9% (2023)
• Morocco — 38.54% (2023)
• Saudi Arabia — 48.55% (2023)
• United Arab Emirates — 32.16% (2023)

More public sector data for IBRD only

• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 14.75 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 2.3% (2025)
• Military expenditure (current USD) — 982.72 billion (2025)
• Armed forces personnel, total — 16.35 million (2020)
• Grants and other revenue (% of revenue) — 16.58% (2024)
• Taxes on goods and services (% of revenue) — 32.66% (2024)
• Taxes on international trade (% of revenue) — 3.03% (2024)
• Other taxes (% of revenue) — 0.95% (2024)
• Taxes on income, profits and capital gains (% of revenue) — 18.76% (2024)
• Interest payments (% of revenue)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is IBRD only's compensation of employees (% of expense)?

21.55% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1995?

It is down 0.86 percentage points from 22.41% in 1995. The highest value was 26.31% in 2005 and the lowest 19.42% in 2022.

Is the latest change in compensation of employees (% of expense) unusual for IBRD only?

In 2023, IBRD only's compensation of employees (% of expense) rose 2.13 percentage points on 2022 (from 19.42% to 21.55%). Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2022), the average change was −0.11 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.47 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator GC.XPN.COMP.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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