Finland - Expense (% of GDP)

Expense (% of GDP) in Finland was 37.09 as of 2019. Its highest value over the past 47 years was 48.63 in 1995, while its lowest value was 19.87 in 1973.

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 20.66
1973 19.87
1974 21.09
1975 24.71
1976 25.38
1977 26.18
1978 26.17
1979 25.99
1980 25.37
1981 25.82
1982 27.05
1983 28.08
1984 27.00
1985 27.81
1986 28.25
1987 28.72
1988 27.60
1989 26.88
1990 28.16
1991 34.43
1992 39.13
1993 41.90
1994 40.43
1995 48.63
1996 44.90
1997 40.32
1998 37.55
1999 36.50
2000 33.91
2001 33.26
2002 34.32
2003 34.90
2004 34.59
2005 34.68
2006 34.28
2007 32.64
2008 33.37
2009 38.22
2010 38.38
2011 37.88
2012 38.90
2013 40.09
2014 40.55
2015 40.42
2016 39.58
2017 37.90
2018 37.38
2019 37.09

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