South Africa - Expense (% of GDP)

Expense (% of GDP) in South Africa was 34.52 as of 2019. Its highest value over the past 47 years was 34.52 in 2019, while its lowest value was 17.13 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 17.75
1973 17.13
1974 18.04
1975 19.83
1976 20.83
1977 21.02
1978 21.01
1979 21.07
1980 19.04
1981 20.43
1982 22.72
1983 24.70
1984 24.82
1985 26.22
1986 27.42
1987 27.71
1988 28.07
1989 27.27
1990 27.71
1991 27.20
1992 30.50
1993 29.15
1994 25.81
1995 26.09
1996 27.02
1997 25.81
1998 25.68
1999 25.30
2000 24.44
2001 24.34
2002 23.68
2003 24.77
2004 25.60
2005 25.60
2006 25.84
2007 26.08
2008 27.18
2009 28.94
2010 28.58
2011 29.37
2012 30.18
2013 31.75
2014 31.59
2015 32.86
2016 31.67
2017 32.83
2018 34.33
2019 34.52

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