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Data extracted on 21 March 2025

Planned article update: February 2026

Highlights

General government expenditure in the EU on 'environmental protection' amounted to €142 billion (0.8% of GDP) in 2023.


A stacked vertical bar chart showing the total general government expenditure on environmental protection for 2023. Each bar is divided into the different environment protection categories, with data expressed as percentage of GDP for the EU, the euro area, the EU Member States and some of the EFTA countries.
General government total expenditure on environmental protection, 2023 (% of GDP)
Source: Eurostat (gov_10a_exp)

This article analyses data on general government total expenditure on 'environmental protection' (according to the Classification of the Functions of Government - COFOG). It is part of a set of statistical articles based on general government expenditure by function.

Eurostat collects data on general government expenditure by economic function according to the international Classification of the Functions of Government (COFOG) in the framework of the European System of National Accounts (ESA 2010).


Expenditure on 'environmental protection'

In 2023 in the EU, total expenditure of general government on 'environmental protection' amounted to 0.8% of GDP. Of this, expenditure on 'waste management' amounted to 0.4% of GDP, while 0.1% of GDP was devoted to expenditure in each of the following COFOG groups: 'waste water management', 'pollution abatement', 'protection of biodiversity and landscape' and not elsewhere classified (n.e.c.) expenditure relating to environmental protection.

A graphic image showing general government expenditure by function in the EU for the year 2023. Data are expressed in euro billions for each function.
Source: Eurostat (gov_10a_exp)


Expenditure on 'environmental protection' ranged between 0.2% of GDP and 1.5% of GDP in 2023

In 2023, Greece and the Netherlands devoted the highest ratio of GDP to 'environmental protection' (both 1.5% of GDP), followed by Malta and Belgium (both 1.2% of GDP) and Luxembourg (1.1% of GDP). In Greece, 0.9% of GDP was spent on 'waste management' and 0.6% of GDP on 'pollution abatement'. In the Netherlands, 0.6% of GDP was spent on 'waste management' and 0.4% on 'waste water management'. In Malta, 0.6% of GDP was spent on 'waste management' and 0.2% of GDP both on 'pollution abatement' and 'protection of biodiversity and landscape'. In Belgium, 0.4% of GDP was spent both on 'waste management' and 'pollution abatement'. In Luxembourg, 0.4% of GDP was spent on 'waste water management' and 0.3% on 'pollution abatement'. At the other end of the scale, for 2023, Finland reported a ratio of 0.2% of GDP for environmental protection expenditure followed by Ireland and Denmark with 0.4% of GDP each.

The highest ratios to GDP for 'waste management' was reported by Greece (0.9% of GDP), followed by the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Spain and Malta (all 0.6% of GDP).

The highest ratios to GDP for 'waste water management' was reported by Luxembourg, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Cyprus (all 0.4% of GDP). Among EFTA countries, Norway also reported expenditure amounting to 0.4% of GDP for 'waste water management'.

Greece reported the highest ratio in the EU for 'pollution abatement' (0.6% of GDP), followed by Belgium (0.4% of GDP).

For the 'protection of biodiversity and landscape', EU countries devoted between 0.2% and 0.1% of GDP or less than this in 2023. In 2023, Malta, Czechia and Denmark were the countries that had the largest expenditure in this function (all 0.2% of GDP). Among EFTA countries, Iceland also reported an expenditure of 0.2% of GDP for 'protection of biodiversity and landscape'.

The expenditure on research and development (R&D) related to environmental protection was very low in all EU countries in 2023 (0.1% of GDP or less).

A table showing total general government expenditure on environmental protection for the year 2023, divided into each environmental protection category. Data are expressed as percentage of GDP for the EU, the euro area, the EU Member States and some of the EFTA countries.
Table 1: General government total expenditure on environmental protection, 2023 (% of GDP) - Source: Eurostat (gov_10a_exp)

Evolution of environmental protection expenditure

Over the period 1995-2023, EU expenditure on environmental protection remained relatively stable, ranging between 0.7% of GDP and 0.8% of GDP. Its share in total expenditure also remained relatively stable, varying between 1.5% and 1.7% of total expenditure.

Between 2022 and 2023, at the level of the EU, government expenditure on environmental protection increased by €14 billion or 11% from €127 billion to €142 billion and its share in total expenditure also increased from 1.6% to 1.7%, while the ratio to GDP (0.8% of GDP) remained stable.

Source data for tables and graphs

The detailed tables Microsoft Excel 2010 Logo.png are available here.

Data sources and availability

Reporting of data to Eurostat

Annual government finance statistics (GFS) data are collected by Eurostat on the basis of the European System of Accounts (ESA 2010) transmission programme. Member States are requested to transmit, among other tables, table 1100, 'Expenditure of general government by function' eleven months after the end of the reference period. Table 1100 provides information about expenditure of the general government sector divided into main COFOG functions and ESA 2010 categories. The transmission of the COFOG I level breakdown (divisions) is compulsory for the years 1995 onwards, whereas information on the COFOG II level (COFOG groups) is provided on a compulsory basis for the general government sector from reference years 2001 onwards. The main reference year used in this publication is 2023 as the latest year available at EU level.

Data was extracted on 21 March 2025.

Provisional data

While a significant effort was undertaken to harmonise the recording of government measures to alleviate the impact of increasing energy prices, a full harmonisation of data for the reference year 2023 was not yet achieved.

Data for the EU and euro area aggregates (2023), Belgium (2023), Germany (2021-2023), Spain (2023), France (all years) and Portugal (2023), Slovakia (all years) is provisional.

Definition of general government and its subsectors

The data relate to the general government sector of the economy, as defined in ESA 2010, paragraph 2.111: 'The general government sector (S.13) consists of institutional units which are non-market producers whose output is intended for individual and collective consumption, and are financed by compulsory payments made by units belonging to other sectors, and institutional units principally engaged in the redistribution of national income and wealth’.

Classification of functional expenditure of government

The Classification of the Functions of Government (COFOG) classifies government expenditure into ten main categories (divisions known as the 'COFOG I level' breakdown): general public services; defence; public order and safety; economic affairs; environmental protection; housing and community affairs; health; recreation, culture and religion; education; social protection. These divisions are further broken down into 'groups' (COFOG II level).

For 'environmental protection', the groups are

  • 'waste management',
  • 'waste water management',
  • 'pollution abatement',
  • 'protection of biodiversity and landscape',
  • 'R&D environmental protection',
  • 'environmental protection n.e.c.',

Further information is available in the Eurostat Manual on sources and methods for the compilation of COFOG Statistics.

Satellite accounts

Administrative expenditure data is additionally collected in so-called satellite accounts. In general, the amount of expenditure recorded in satellite accounts is expected to exceed the expenditure recorded under the respective COFOG division. More details on the comparability of COFOG data with satellite accounts data can be found in the COFOG manual.

Definition of general government total expenditure

Government total expenditure is defined in ESA 2010, paragraph 8.100 by using as reference a list of ESA 2010 categories. More detail is provided in the overview article on Government expenditure by function – COFOG.

Gross Domestic Product

Throughout this publication, the nominal GDP, i.e. GDP at current prices is used. The latest GDP available at time of publication is used.

Time of recording & symbols used

In the ESA 2010 system, recording is on an accrual basis, that is, when ‘economic value is created, transformed or extinguished, or when claims and obligations arise, are transformed or are cancelled.'

":" not available

"pp" percentage points

More data and information

For more country-specific notes, e.g. on missing data, please refer to the metadata published on Eurobase. The authors can be contacted at ESTAT-GFS@ec.europa.eu

Context

In the framework of the European System of National Accounts (ESA 2010), Eurostat collects data on general government expenditure by economic function according to the international Classification of the Functions of Government (COFOG) – see methodological note.

Explore further

Other articles

Government expenditure by function – COFOG - overview

Database
Government statistics (gov)
Government finance statistics (EDP and ESA2010) (gov_gfs10)
Annual government finance statistics (gov_10a)
Government revenue, expenditure and main aggregates (gov_10a_main)
General government expenditure by function (COFOG) (gov_10a_exp)
Main national accounts tax aggregates (gov_10a_tax_ag)

Thematic section

Selected datasets
Government statistics (t_gov)
Annual government finance statistics (t_gov_10a)

Methodology

Legislation
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