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The primary deficit is defined as the difference between current government spending on goods and services and total current revenue from all types of taxes net of transfer payments. The total deficit (which is often called the fiscal deficit or just the 'deficit') is the primary deficit plus interest payments on the debt. [8]
In his budget speech in March 2011 Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne stated that "Our fiscal mandate is to achieve a cyclically-adjusted current balance by the end of the rolling five year forecast period – which is currently 2015–16" [3] but having failed to do this by 2015 his revised aim was to balance the books by 2020.
The UK government has spent more than it has raised in taxation since financial year 2001–02, [3] creating a budget deficit and leading to growing debt interest payments. Average government spending per person is higher in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland than it is in England.
The UK fiscal year ends on 5 April each year. The financial year ends on 31 March of each year. Thus, the UK budget for financial year 2021 runs from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 and is often referred to as 2021–22. Historically, the budget was usually released in March, less than one month before the beginning of the new fiscal year.
A positive (+) number indicates that revenues exceeded expenditures (a budget surplus), while a negative (-) number indicates the reverse (a budget deficit). Normalizing the data, by dividing the budget balance by GDP, enables easy comparisons across countries and indicates whether a national government saves or borrows money.
The Government has set itself two medium-term fiscal targets: first, a fiscal mandate for the cyclically-adjusted current budget to be below 2 per cent of GDP by 2020-21, and second, a supplementary target to have public sector net debt falling as a share of GDP in 2020-21. [9]
Britain's external deficit is a worry and there are questions over the country's competitiveness long-term, while the new Italian government's medium-term fiscal plan appears "realistic", senior ...
All countries and regions in the UK had a fiscal deficit in 2021, which included the North West of England at £49.9 billion; Scotland at £36 billion; Northern Ireland at £18 billion; London at £7.2 billion. [4] Net fiscal balance by UK nation and region per capita, 2017–18. At £4,300, Wales' fiscal deficit per capita is the second ...