Public spending

What does public money pay for?

Social protection, health and education are the largest functions in the combined government expense account. Spending tells us what resources were used. Service results tell us what those resources delivered.

The public account in one year

2024–25 · consolidated Australian general government · accrual basis. Revenue and expenses cover the same sector and period.

$1,022.4brevenue

$1,030.5bexpenses

$8.2bnet operating deficitPublished balance: $8,159m. Rounded totals can differ by $1m.

Expenses exceeded revenue on this operating measure. Capital acquisition and financing are accounted for separately, so this balance is not the same as a cash deficit or total borrowing.

Source and scope: ABS general government operating statement

Revenue is $1,022,351m and expenses are $1,030,511m. The published net operating balance is −$8,159m; use the published balance rather than interpreting the rounding difference as an error.

Table 1 · 2024–25 · all-Australia general government

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Where the expenses sit

Each bar uses the total $1,030.5b as its denominator. These are purposes of spending, not separate departments or an estimate of who personally benefited.

Social protection$311.7b
30.3% of the stated total
Health$207.7b
20.2% of the stated total
Education$148.4b
14.4% of the stated total
General public services$111.5b
10.8% of the stated total
Public order and safety$52.8b
5.1% of the stated total
Defence$50.2b
4.9% of the stated total

Transport$47.2b
4.6% of the stated total
Economic affairs$46.4b
4.5% of the stated total
Environmental protection$20.8b
2.0% of the stated total
Recreation, culture and religion$20.0b
1.9% of the stated total
Housing and community amenities$13.9b
1.3% of the stated total

Social protection includes income-support functions. Health includes much more than hospital emergency departments. These expenses are not a complete capital-project cash ledger.

Source and scope: ABS expenses by purpose

The eleven functions cover all-Australia general government expenses. Totals are consolidated to avoid counting transfers inside the sector as additional national spending.

Table 4, cells K7–K17 and K19 · A$ millions

Open original source

Who decides, who delivers, who checks?

Public institutions authorise
Budgets, legislation and funding arrangements set the authority and conditions for spending.
Explore management and oversight
Agencies and providers deliver
Departments, state systems and service providers turn funding into programs, infrastructure and services.
Follow a hospital investment
Results need their own evidence
A payment, a completed building and an improvement in daily life answer different questions.
Examine reported results

Public spending

What does public money pay for?

The public account in one year

2024–25 · consolidated Australian general government · accrual basis. Revenue and expenses cover the same sector and period.

$1,022.4brevenue

$1,030.5bexpenses

$8.2bnet operating deficitPublished balance: $8,159m. Rounded totals can differ by $1m.

Expenses exceeded revenue on this operating measure. Capital acquisition and financing are accounted for separately, so this balance is not the same as a cash deficit or total borrowing.

Source and scope: ABS general government operating statement

Revenue is $1,022,351m and expenses are $1,030,511m. The published net operating balance is −$8,159m; use the published balance rather than interpreting the rounding difference as an error.

Table 1 · 2024–25 · all-Australia general government

Open original source

Where the expenses sit

Each bar uses the total $1,030.5b as its denominator. These are purposes of spending, not separate departments or an estimate of who personally benefited.

Social protection$311.7b
30.3% of the stated total
Health$207.7b
20.2% of the stated total
Education$148.4b
14.4% of the stated total
General public services$111.5b
10.8% of the stated total
Public order and safety$52.8b
5.1% of the stated total
Defence$50.2b
4.9% of the stated total

Transport$47.2b
4.6% of the stated total
Economic affairs$46.4b
4.5% of the stated total
Environmental protection$20.8b
2.0% of the stated total
Recreation, culture and religion$20.0b
1.9% of the stated total
Housing and community amenities$13.9b
1.3% of the stated total

Social protection includes income-support functions. Health includes much more than hospital emergency departments. These expenses are not a complete capital-project cash ledger.

Source and scope: ABS expenses by purpose

The eleven functions cover all-Australia general government expenses. Totals are consolidated to avoid counting transfers inside the sector as additional national spending.

Table 4, cells K7–K17 and K19 · A$ millions

Open original source

Who decides, who delivers, who checks?

Public institutions authorise
Budgets, legislation and funding arrangements set the authority and conditions for spending.
Explore management and oversight
Agencies and providers deliver
Departments, state systems and service providers turn funding into programs, infrastructure and services.
Follow a hospital investment
Results need their own evidence
A payment, a completed building and an improvement in daily life answer different questions.
Examine reported results