South Africa - Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense)

Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense) in South Africa was 54.86 as of 2019. Its highest value over the past 34 years was 63.30 in 2011, while its lowest value was 6.25 in 1995.

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
1985 15.65
1986 14.78
1987 14.58
1988 6.79
1989 6.91
1990 25.62
1991 26.95
1992 26.72
1993 29.20
1994 40.90
1995 6.25
1996 54.20
1997 53.37
1998 54.18
1999 52.67
2000 52.85
2001 53.17
2002 54.00
2003 54.62
2004 55.51
2005 56.74
2006 59.74
2007 60.12
2008 62.51
2009 62.72
2010 62.20
2011 63.30
2012 62.81
2013 61.61
2014 61.75
2015 59.85
2016 59.21
2017 58.11
2018 57.39
2019 54.86

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