Australia - Expense (% of GDP)

Expense (% of GDP) in Australia was 26.19 as of 2019. Its highest value over the past 47 years was 26.99 in 2016, while its lowest value was 18.06 in 1972.

Definition: Expense is cash payments for operating activities of the government in providing goods and services. It includes compensation of employees (such as wages and salaries), interest and subsidies, grants, social benefits, and other expenses such as rent and dividends.

Source: International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, and World Bank and OECD GDP estimates.

See also:

Year Value
1972 18.06
1973 18.46
1974 18.14
1975 21.27
1976 23.64
1977 23.61
1978 24.49
1979 23.69
1980 23.36
1981 23.55
1982 23.29
1983 25.57
1984 26.46
1985 26.43
1986 26.14
1987 25.71
1988 24.21
1989 22.19
1990 21.82
1991 23.17
1992 24.44
1993 24.97
1994 25.09
1995 25.40
1996 24.58
1997 23.82
1998 21.34
1999 24.54
2000 24.06
2001 26.22
2002 26.39
2003 25.72
2004 25.63
2005 25.58
2006 24.93
2007 24.48
2008 24.34
2009 26.49
2010 26.73
2011 26.01
2012 26.14
2013 25.89
2014 26.27
2015 26.78
2016 26.99
2017 26.61
2018 26.22
2019 26.19

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: Weighted average

Periodicity: Annual

Classification

Topic: Public Sector Indicators

Sub-Topic: Government finance