Data sources
Obtaining data on a specific country’s government expenditure often begins at the global or international level. Several data sources are available; however, their consistency, comparability, and completeness must be carefully assessed. Typically, there is no single source that provides data for all countries. For this reason, the tables below lists the data source used for each country.
IMF
One option is the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Data Portal, which offers official government finance statistics with detailed data on government expenditure. The IMF’s Government Finance Statistics (GFS) database provides data classified by economic and functional categories, including COFOG classifications, reported in domestic currency. Data in this report refer to the General government and for Brazil, Chile and Colombia refer to the Central government sector too. The IMF Data Portal also allows users to select many other subcategories of the General government sector such as State Government, Local Government, Social security funds, and others.
The following COFOG identifiers are available in the IMF:
| First level | Second and third level |
|---|---|
| 01 General public services | 01.1 Executive and legislative organs, financial and fiscal affairs, external affairs |
| 01.2 Foreign economic aid | |
| 01.4 Basic research | |
| 01.4.0 Basic research (CS) | |
| 01.5.0 R&D General public services (CS) | |
| 01.6.0 General public services n.e.c. (CS) | |
| 01.7.0 Public debt transactions (CS) | |
| 01.8.0 Transfers of a general character between different levels of government (CS) | |
| 02 Defence | 02.1.0 Military defence (CS) |
| 02.2.0 Civil defence (CS) | |
| 02.3.0 Foreign military aid (CS) | |
| 02.4.0 R&D Defence (CS) | |
| 02.5.0 Defence n.e.c. (CS) | |
| 03 Public order and safety | 03.1.0 Police services (CS) |
| 03.2.0 Fire-protection services (CS) | |
| 03.3.0 Law courts (CS) | |
| 03.4.0 Prisons (CS) | |
| 03.5.0 R&D Public order and safety (CS) | |
| 03.6.0 Public order and safety n.e.c. (CS) | |
| 04 Economic affairs | 04.1 General economic, commercial and labour affairs |
| 04.1.1 General economic and commercial affairs (CS) | |
| 04.2 Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | |
| 04.3 Fuel and energy | |
| 04.4 Mining, manufacturing and construction | |
| 04.5 Transport | |
| 04.5.1 Road transport (CS) | |
| 04.6.0 Communication (CS) | |
| 04.7 Other industries | |
| 04.8 R&D Economic affairs | |
| 04.9.0 Economic affairs n.e.c. (CS) | |
| 05 Environmental protection | 05.1.0 Waste management (CS) |
| 05.2.0 Waste water management (CS) | |
| 05.3.0 Pollution abatement (CS) | |
| 05.4.0 Protection of biodiversity and landscape (CS) | |
| 05.5.0 R&D Environmental protection (CS) | |
| 05.6.0 Environmental protection n.e.c. (CS) | |
| 06 Housing and community amenities | 06.1.0 Housing development (CS) |
| 06.2.0 Community development (CS) | |
| 06.3.0 Water supply (CS) | |
| 06.4.0 Street lighting CS) | |
| 06.5.0 R&D Housing and community amenities (CS) | |
| 06.6.0 Housing and community amenities n.e.c. (CS) | |
| 07 Health | 07.1.2 Other medical products (IS) |
| 07.2 Outpatient services | |
| 07.3 Hospital services | |
| 07.4.0 Public health services (IS) | |
| 07.5 R&D Health | |
| 07.5.0 R&D Health (CS) | |
| 07.6.0 Health n.e.c. (CS) | |
| 08 Recreation, culture and religion | 08.1.0 Recreational and sporting services (IS) |
| 08.2.0 Cultural services (IS) | |
| 08.3.0 Broadcasting and publishing services (CS) | |
| 08.4.0 Religious and other community services (CS) | |
| 08.5.0 R&D Recreation, culture and religion (CS) | |
| 08.6.0 Recreation, culture and religion n.e.c. (CS) | |
| 09 Education | 09.1 Pre-primary and primary education |
| 09.2 Secondary education | |
| 09.2.1 Lower-secondary education (IS) | |
| 09.2.2 Upper-secondary education (IS) | |
| 09.3.0 Post-secondary non-tertiary education (IS) | |
| 09.4 Tertiary education | |
| 09.5.0 Education not definable by level (IS) | |
| 09.6.0 Subsidiary services to education (IS) | |
| 09.7.0 R&D Education (CS) | |
| 09.8.0 Education n.e.c. CS) | |
| 10 Social protection | 10.1 Sickness and disability |
| 10.2.0 Old age (IS) | |
| 10.3.0 Survivors (IS) | |
| 10.4.0 Family and children (IS) | |
| 10.5.0 Unemployment (IS) | |
| 10.6.0 Housing (IS) | |
| 10.7.0 Social exclusion n.e.c. (IS) | |
| 10.8.0 R&D Social protection (CS) | |
| 10.9.0 Social protection n.e.c. (CS) |