Micronesia, Fed. Sts.: Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Micronesia, Fed. Sts.'s subsidies and other transfers (% of expense) rose 5 percentage points on 2019 (from 2.73% to 7.73%).

Across the 11 yearly changes before that (2009 to 2019), the average change was +0.09 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.98 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 5 percentage points in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was 3.05 percentage points in 2011. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2011 to 2020 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 10% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

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

How it compares

In 2020, Micronesia, Fed. Sts. had the 11th highest value of the 10 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Micronesia, Fed. Sts. in the 2020 ranking

• Marshall Islands — 7th of 10: 17.07%
• Honduras — 8th of 10: 17.01%
• Bhutan — 9th of 10: 15.88%

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 as percentage of total expenses which is any decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction.

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).

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a median.

All 13 values

Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense) in nearby economies

• Australia — 69.4% (2022)
• Cambodia — 37.27% (2023)
• Fiji — 34.12% (2023)
• Kiribati — 35.52% (2023)
• Korea, Rep. — 68.5% (2023)
• Lao PDR — 11.72% (2022)
• Macao SAR, China — 32.58% (2023)
• Malaysia — 43.61% (2023)
• Marshall Islands — 17.07% (2020)
• Mongolia — 72.31% (2021)

More public sector data for Micronesia, Fed. Sts.

• Statistical performance indicators (SPI): Pillar 1 data use score (scale 0-100) — 20 (2024)
• Statistical performance indicators (SPI): Pillar 3 data products score (scale 0-100) — 54.85 (2024)
• Primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget (%) — 111.52% (2021)
• CPIA business regulatory environment rating (1=low to 6=high) — 2 (2025)
• CPIA debt policy rating (1=low to 6=high) — 3 (2025)
• CPIA economic management cluster average (1=low to 6=high) — 2.83 (2025)
• CPIA policy and institutions for environmental sustainability rating (1=low to 6=high) — 3 (2025)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Micronesia, Fed. Sts.'s subsidies and other transfers (% of expense)?

7.73% in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2008?

It is up 5.98 percentage points from 1.75% in 2008. The highest value was 7.73% in 2020 and the lowest 1.29% in 2018.

How does Micronesia, Fed. Sts. rank?

11th highest of 10 economies with data for 2020.

Is the latest change in subsidies and other transfers (% of expense) unusual for Micronesia, Fed. Sts.?

In 2020, Micronesia, Fed. Sts.'s subsidies and other transfers (% of expense) rose 5 percentage points on 2019 (from 2.73% to 7.73%). Across the 11 yearly changes before that (2009 to 2019), the average change was +0.09 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.98 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator GC.XPN.TRFT.ZS, 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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