North America - Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense)

Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense) in North America was 71.12 as of 2020. Its highest value over the past 34 years was 71.12 in 2020, while its lowest value was 2.87 in 1988.

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
1986 3.25
1987 3.60
1988 2.87
1989 2.92
1990 51.80
1991 53.11
1992 56.71
1993 58.22
1994 58.72
1995 58.48
1996 58.53
1997 59.10
1998 59.27
1999 60.26
2000 59.99
2001 58.34
2002 59.38
2003 60.38
2004 60.40
2005 61.51
2006 61.29
2007 61.73
2008 60.83
2009 63.64
2010 65.05
2011 64.13
2012 64.81
2013 65.92
2014 66.75
2015 68.14
2016 68.68
2017 68.39
2018 67.87
2019 68.07
2020 71.12

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