European Union - Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense)

Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense) in European Union was 49.61 as of 2019. Its highest value over the past 29 years was 64.70 in 1992, while its lowest value was 45.40 in 2005.

Definition: Subsidies, grants, and other social benefits include all unrequited, nonrepayable transfers on current account to private and public enterprises; grants to foreign governments, international organizations, and other government units; and social security, social assistance benefits, and employer social benefits in cash and in kind.

Source: International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files.

See also:

Year Value
1990 61.88
1991 63.12
1992 64.70
1993 63.60
1994 62.90
1995 46.60
1996 47.59
1997 47.02
1998 46.50
1999 48.74
2000 47.64
2001 47.05
2002 47.29
2003 46.39
2004 47.12
2005 45.40
2006 45.42
2007 46.46
2008 46.87
2009 47.51
2010 49.59
2011 48.95
2012 49.32
2013 50.74
2014 49.99
2015 47.88
2016 48.47
2017 49.74
2018 48.41
2019 49.61

Limitations and Exceptions: 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). Despite IMF efforts to standardize data collection, statistics are often incomplete, untimely, and not comparable across countries.

Statistical Concept and Methodology: The IMF's Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014, harmonized with the 2008 SNA, recommends an accrual accounting method, focusing on all economic events affecting assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses, not just those represented by cash transactions. It accounts for all changes in stocks, so stock data at the end of an accounting period equal stock data at the beginning of the period plus flows over the period. The 1986 manual considered only debt stocks. Government finance statistics are reported in local currency. Many countries report government finance data by fiscal year; see country metadata for information on fiscal year end by country.

Aggregation method: Median

Periodicity: Annual

Classification

Topic: Public Sector Indicators

Sub-Topic: Government finance