Eswatini: Subsidies and other transfers (current LCU)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2021, Eswatini's subsidies and other transfers (current LCU) fell 4.3% on 2020 (from 4.57 billion to 4.37 billion).

Across the 19 yearly changes before that (2000 to 2020), the average change was +18.2% and a typical year strayed about 45.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 182.9% in 2005 and the biggest yearly fall was 53.4% in 2004. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2012 to 2021 the straight-line trend is upward, about 236.42 million a year. A straight line explains 90% of the movement over 9 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

Closest to Eswatini in the 2021 ranking

• Burundi — 5th of 8: 263.13 billion
• Peru — 6th of 8: 90.48 billion
• Maldives — 7th of 8: 6.83 billion

What this measures

Subsidies are current unrequited payments that government units, including nonresident government units, make to enterprises on the basis of the levels of their production activities or the quantities or values of the goods or services that they produce, sell, export or import. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.

Limitations: 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).

All 22 values

Subsidies and other transfers (current LCU) in nearby economies

• Angola — 3.5 trillion (2024)
• Botswana — 10.66 billion (2023)
• Burkina Faso — 726.91 billion (2024)
• Burundi — 263.13 billion (2021)
• Cabo Verde — 15.36 billion (2020)
• Cameroon — 728.23 billion (2021)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 1.89 trillion (2022)
• Congo, Rep. — 436.66 billion (2021)
• Côte d'Ivoire — 3.82 trillion (2023)
• Equatorial Guinea

More public sector data for Eswatini

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 93.36 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 1.67 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 1.6% (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 5.17% (2025)
• Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) — 12.51 (2021)
• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU) — 3.79 billion (2021)
• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (% of GDP) — 5.33% (2021)
• Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) — -3.29 billion (2021)
• Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP) — -4.63% (2021)

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Questions people ask

What is Eswatini's subsidies and other transfers (current LCU)?

4.37 billion in 2021, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1999?

It is up 828.94% from 470.7 million in 1999 (10.66% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 4.57 billion in 2020 and the lowest 256.84 million in 2004.

Is the latest change in subsidies and other transfers (current LCU) unusual for Eswatini?

In 2021, Eswatini's subsidies and other transfers (current LCU) fell 4.3% on 2020 (from 4.57 billion to 4.37 billion). Across the 19 yearly changes before that (2000 to 2020), the average change was +18.2% and a typical year strayed about 45.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator GC.XPN.TRFT.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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