1.6.1 Size of Government 1: Employment in General Government among OECD Countries (2015-2021)

Full Title: Size of Government 1: Employment in General Government among OECD Countries (2015-2021) [Article No. 1.6.1]

日本語タイトル：政府の規模１: 一般政府における雇用者数：OECD各国（2015-2021）[記事 No. 1.6.1]

Posted on August 20, 2026.

[Figures]

Figure Employment in General government as a % of Total Employment: OECD Countries (2015-2021)

Figure 一般政府における雇用者数の対総就業者数比率（%）：OECD7各国 (2015-2021)

Panel A: Low-level Countries

Panel B: Middle-level Countries

Panel C: High-level Countries

Notes: (1) The categorization of “Low-level,” “Middle-level,” and “High-level” is based on 2021 figures. (2) General government consists of the central government, local governments, and social security funds.

（注）(1) “Low-level,” “Middle-level,” “High-level” のカテゴリー分けは2021年の値に基づいている．(2) 一般政府は中央政府，地方政府（自治体），社会保障基金から構成される．

Source: By Yoshida using OECD “Government at a Glance (annual editions)” data.

[Facts]

1. 調査対象国の中では，通時的に，日本の値が最も低い．
2. 日本と同じ東アジアの国である韓国の値は日本に次いで低い．
3. アングロサクソン系の国々（アメリカ，イギリス，カナダ）でも，足元で日本の約３倍以上の値を示している．
4. 北欧の国々（ノルウェー，スウェーデン，デンマーク）の値は通時的に高い．
5. アイルランドは2019年以降値が大きく上昇している．

1. Japan’s figures are consistently the lowest among the countries surveyed.
2. South Korea, another East Asian country like Japan, has the second-lowest figure after Japan.
3. Even Anglo-Saxon countries (the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada), their figures are currently more than three times higher than those in Japan.
4. The figures for the Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, and Denmark) have consistently been high.
5. The figures for Ireland have risen significantly since 2019.

[Discussion]

1. 著者の知見からは，多くの日本人は「日本は大きな政府の国だ」と思っていると推量する．しかし，事実はこの認識に反して，就業者数比率の点からは，日本は先進国中最も小さな政府の国の一つである．
2. 一方，一般的には小さな政府の国だと認識されていると考えられるアングロサクソン系の国々でさえ，就業者数比率の点からは，日本や韓国と比較した場合には極めて大きな政府の国となっている．
3. 北欧の国々に関しては，一般的な理解と事実が整合的であると考えられる．
4. 2019年以降のアイルランドの値の上昇の主な原因は，世界金融危機以降にアイルランドが実施した緊縮的財政運営からの通常運営への回帰にあると考えられる．

1. Based on the author’s knowledge, it can be inferred that many Japanese people believe “Japan is a large-government country.” However, contrary to this perception, in terms of the ratio of government employees to the total employment, Japan is one of the countries with the smallest government among developed countries.
2. On the other hand, in terms of the ratio of government employees to the total employment, even Anglo-Saxon countries, which are generally perceived as having small governments, are extremely large-government countries, compared with Japan and South Korea.
3. Regarding the Nordic countries, it appears that the general understanding is consistent with the fact.
4. The main reason for the rise in Ireland’s figures since 2019 is considered to be the country’s return to normal fiscal management following the stringent fiscal policies implemented after the global financial crisis.