New Zealand: Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2022, New Zealand's subsidies and other transfers (% of expense) rose 0.46 percentage points on 2021 (from 49.85% to 50.31%).

Across the 20 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2021), the average change was +0.83 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.71 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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 12.26 percentage points in 2009 and the biggest yearly fall was 6.57 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 2013 to 2022 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.56 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 59% of the movement over 10 observed years.

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

How it compares

In 2022, New Zealand had the 9th highest value of the 24 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 New Zealand in the 2022 ranking

• Romania — 6th of 24: 58.92%
• South Africa — 7th of 24: 54.78%
• Belgium — 8th of 24: 53.1%
• Slovak Republic — 10th of 24: 46.73%
• India — 11th of 24: 42.52%
• Hungary — 12th of 24: 40.26%

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 22 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)
• Micronesia, Fed. Sts.

More public sector data for New Zealand

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 2.86 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 4.91 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 1.1% (2025)
• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 200 million (2024)
• Grants and other revenue (current LCU) — 17.87 billion (2024)
• Grants and other revenue (% of revenue) — 12.04% (2024)
• Revenue, excluding grants (current LCU) — 147.96 billion (2024)
• Revenue, excluding grants (% of GDP) — 34.25% (2024)
• Taxes on goods and services (current LCU) — 39.13 billion (2024)
• Taxes on goods and services (% of revenue)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

What is New Zealand's subsidies and other transfers (% of expense)?

50.31% in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2001?

It is up 16.98 percentage points from 33.34% in 2001. The highest value was 52.74% in 2020 and the lowest 33.34% in 2001.

How does New Zealand rank?

9th highest of 24 economies with data for 2022.

Is the latest change in subsidies and other transfers (% of expense) unusual for New Zealand?

In 2022, New Zealand's subsidies and other transfers (% of expense) rose 0.46 percentage points on 2021 (from 49.85% to 50.31%). Across the 20 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2021), the average change was +0.83 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.71 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

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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