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

Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense) in South Asia was 44.65 as of 2018. Its highest value over the past 16 years was 44.65 in 2018, while its lowest value was 25.29 in 2002.

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
2002 25.29
2003 26.94
2004 25.50
2005 28.20
2006 27.70
2007 26.37
2008 27.07
2009 27.68
2010 35.98
2011 34.40
2012 35.59
2013 36.67
2014 32.62
2015 35.13
2016 34.10
2017 38.22
2018 44.65

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