Compensation of employees in Euro area

Euro area: Compensation of employees was 16.4% in 2023. ▬ Flat

Latest (2023)
16.4%
Change on year
up 3.3%
Rank
34th
of 41 groups
All-time high
19.8%
in 1981
All-time low
10.2%
in 1991
Years of data
50
1974–2023

Compensation of employees in Euro area, 1974–2023

05101520197419982023

Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of expense.

Analysis

Euro area recorded 16.4% for compensation of employees in 2023.

The figure is up 3.3% on the previous year and up 6.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, compensation of employees in Euro area peaked at 19.8% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 10.2%, in 1991.

That places Euro area 34th out of 41 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Compensation of employees in Euro area, year by year

Annual values for Compensation of employees (% of expense) in Euro area, 1974 to 2023.
Year % of expense Change
1974 17.8%
1975 15.6% -12.2%
1976 14.9% -4.5%
1977 15.7% +5.3%
1978 15.3% -2.5%
1979 15.2% -0.9%
1980 17.1% +12.5%
1981 19.8% +16.2%
1982 19.4% -2.2%
1983 19.0% -1.8%
1984 18.8% -1.1%
1985 18.4% -2.1%
1986 15.3% -17.1%
1987 15.2% -0.4%
1988 15.2% -0.3%
1989 15.4% +1.4%
1990 13.2% -14.2%
1991 10.2% -22.8%
1992 12.3% +20.4%
1993 12.1% -1.2%
1994 12.5% +3.4%
1995 16.9% +34.5%
1996 16.9% +0.3%
1997 16.2% -4.2%
1998 18.0% +11.2%
1999 18.2% +1.0%
2000 16.4% -10.0%
2001 17.8% +8.9%
2002 17.1% -4.1%
2003 15.5% -9.5%
2004 15.3% -0.8%
2005 17.4% +13.1%
2006 17.3% -0.6%
2007 17.2% -0.5%
2008 16.6% -3.0%
2009 16.2% -3.0%
2010 14.3% -11.5%
2011 15.4% +7.9%
2012 15.7% +1.7%
2013 15.4% -1.9%
2014 15.7% +2.2%
2015 15.6% -0.8%
2016 16.3% +4.2%
2017 16.5% +1.5%
2018 16.1% -2.4%
2019 16.3% +1.2%
2020 15.4% -5.6%
2021 15.6% +1.3%
2022 15.9% +2.0%
2023 16.4% +3.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 15.7% 14.9% 17.8% 6
1980s 17.4% 15.2% 19.8% 10
1990s 14.6% 10.2% 18.2% 10
2000s 16.7% 15.3% 17.8% 10
2010s 15.7% 14.3% 16.5% 10
2020s 15.8% 15.4% 16.4% 4

Countries ranked near Euro area

  1. 31 Maldives 39.1% compare
  2. 32 Cambodia 38.9% compare
  3. 33 Namibia 38.8% compare
  4. 34 Morocco 38.5% compare
  5. 35 Guinea-Bissau 38.4% compare
  6. 36 Jamaica 38.0% compare
  7. 37 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 37.4% compare

See the full ranking of 196 places →

More public sector data for Euro area

All data for Euro area →

Frequently asked questions

What is compensation of employees in Euro area?
Compensation of employees in Euro area was 16.4% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest compensation of employees recorded in Euro area?
The highest recorded value was 19.8% in 1981.
What is the lowest compensation of employees recorded in Euro area?
The lowest recorded value was 10.2% in 1991.
How does Euro area rank for compensation of employees?
Euro area ranks 34th out of 41 groups with data for 2023.
Is compensation of employees rising or falling in Euro area?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Euro area data come from?
The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Compensation of employees (% of expense). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Compensation of employees in Euro area. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/compensation-of-employees-percent-of-expense/euro-area/

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About this data

Indicator
Compensation of employees (% of expense)
Unit
% of expense
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
196 places, 5,286 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed

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.