In 2017, Liechtenstein’s public sector recorded a financial surplus of just under 189 million Swiss francs. This equates, more or less, to 3.1 percent of the country’s GDP for the same year. In the previous year, however, the budget surplus was actually slightly higher.

According to the Financial Statistics 2017 published by the Office for Statistics (AS), the public sector in Liechtenstein recorded income of 1.712 billion francs in 2017. In comparison with the previous year, this equates to an increase of 1.4 percent. At 51.1 percent, taxation made the greatest contribution to the public purse.

During the reporting year, income was offset by expenditure in the amount of 1.523 billion francs overall. Expenditure was therefore up by 2 percent year on year in addition to being slightly above the average value recorded between the years of 2013 and 2017. All in all, the financial balance in 2017 remained positive for Liechtenstein at 188.7 million francs.

At 490.3 million francs, just under one third of total government expenditure was attributable to social security benefits for private households. In the previous year, social security benefit payments in Liechtenstein totaled 476.7 million. Average expenditure on social security benefits between the years of 2013 and 2017 in Liechtenstein stood at 470.3 million francs.

The state’s net assets totaled approximately 7.8 billion francs as at year-end 2017. This represents an increase of 700 million francs on the previous year. The balance sheet totals of both social security funds and the municipalities also registered an increase in assets year on year versus 2016. A rise in net assets was also recorded at regional level in comparison with the previous year.

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