Statistics Jersey has released its latest report on general government expenditure for 2024, providing a detailed analysis of how public funds were allocated across key areas of government activity. The report uses the internationally recognised Classification of the Functions of Government (COFOG) system, enabling comparisons across jurisdictions and over time.
Key highlights from the 2024 report:
- Total general government expenditure rose by 5.1% or £86.3million in real terms to £1.79 billion, a slower increase than the 6.3% recorded in 2023.
- The largest increases in spending were seen in:
- Social protection (+£23.3m), driven by higher costs for pensions and disability benefits.
- General public services (+£17.5m), reflecting centralised maintenance and insurance costs, property projects, and increased parish spending.
- Education (+£15.3m), with more expenditure on primary and secondary education.
- Health (+£15.2m), primarily due to increased expenditure on hospital services.
- 73% of all government spending was concentrated in social protection, health, and education, with the health division and the old age and sickness and disability groups within the social protection division account for almost half (48.3%) of all general government expenditure – highlighting the significance of demographic changes in shaping overall spending levels.
International comparisons:
- Jersey’s government spending as a percentage of GDP was lower than all OECD countries except Chile and Ireland.
- Jersey allocated a higher proportion of its total spend to health than any OECD country, though its health spend as a percentage of GDP was lower than several, including the UK.