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Introduction: public sector spending

In this short animation, we see how public sector spending varies dramatically between different countries, from social security to defence.
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Across the world, the amount spent on the public sector varies dramatically between different countries. Some countries with larger welfare states spend, on average, more resources, like in Denmark, Finland, France and Sweden. There’s a lot of variety across the world in how much the public sector spends money on the whole. In the UK, for example, around a quarter of public sector spending is spent on social security. Then there’s the NHS, education and defence. Other countries may have a different composition or structure of public sector spending. However, public sector spending also fluctuates over time. In the US, for example, public spending with respect to GDP skyrocketed during wartime and then oscillated around an upward sloped trend.

The amount spent on the public sector varies dramatically between different countries and fluctuates over time.

We briefly introduce our discussion in this short animation.

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Understanding Public Financial Management: How Is Your Money Spent?

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