Government Expenditure & Revenue Scotland 2020-21

Net Fiscal Balance 2020-21

This is the difference between total revenue and total public sector expenditure including capital investment. The net fiscal balance:

• Including an illustrative geographic share of North Sea revenue, was a deficit of 22.4% of GDP (£36.3 billion).
• Excluding North Sea revenue, was a deficit of 23.8% of GDP (£36.9 billion).
• For the UK, was a deficit of 14.2% of GDP.

Total Public Sector Revenue 2020-21

• Including an illustrative geographic share of North Sea, Scottish public sector revenue was estimated as £62.8 billion (7.9% of UK revenue). Of this, £0.5 billion was North Sea revenue. Scottish non-North Sea revenue was £62.3 billion (7.8% of UK revenue).
• Non-North Sea revenue fell from £65.3 billion in 2019-20, a fall of 4.6% as the pandemic decreased revenue, particularly non-domestic rates, VAT, and fuel duties.
• Scotland’s illustrative geographical share of North Sea revenue was £0.5 billion in 2020-21, down from £0.8 billion in 2019-20, as the fall in the oil price during the pandemic reduced revenue.
• Including an illustrative geographical share of North Sea revenue, Scotland’s public sector revenue is equivalent to £11,496 per person, £382 less than the UK average. Excluding North Sea revenue, it is £11,395 per person, £477 less than the UK average.

Total Public Sector Expenditure 2020-21

• Total expenditure for the benefit of Scotland by the Scottish Government, UK Government, and all other parts of the public sector was £99.2 billion. Spending increased by 21.0%, reflecting the costs of the health and wider economic interventions in response pandemic. This is equivalent to 9.1% of total UK public sector expenditure, or £18,144 per person, which is £1,828 per person greater than the UK average.

The figures are produced in accordance with professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Statistics.