General government expenditure in the EU - Government expenditure accounted for 48.1% of GDP in the EU in 2014 - Mainly devoted to social protection

In 2014, total general government expenditure amounted to €6 701 bn in the European Union (EU). This represented almost half (48.1%) of EU GDP in 2014, compared with 48.6% in 2013. In the euro area, the share stood at 49.0% in 2014 (49.4% in 2013). Among EU Member States, general government expenditure varied in 2014 from less than 35% of GDP in Lithuania and Romania to more than 57% in Finland, France and Denmark.

Full text available on EUROSTAT website.