Country Fact Sheet

Government at a GlanceLatin America and the Caribbean 2017

Maintaining high levels of properly targeted expenditure,while achieving fiscal consolidation, is a challenge in Argentina

In 2015, public spending in Argentina was the highest in the region, amounting to 44% of GDP. Between 2007 and 2014, government expenditures experienced the second-largest increase in the region. This rise can be attributed mainly to an increase in current expenditure. Fiscal pressures are increasing in Argentina, the budget deficit reached 7.4% of GDP in 2015 and the structural deficits projected for 2016 and 2017 are above 5%. Maintaining high levels of properly targeted public spending while achieving fiscal consolida-tion, important to retain investors’ confidence, is a key challenge in Argentina.

Chapter 2: Public finance and economics

2.1. General government fiscal balance as a percentage of GDP, 2007, 2009, 2014 and 20152.3. General government projected structural balance as a percentage of potential GDP, 2016, 2017 and 20182.4. General government gross debt as a percentage of GDP, 2007, 2009, 2014 and 20152.14. General government expenditures as a percentage of GDP, 2007, 2009, 2014 and 2015

Public employment in Argentina is above the regional average

In 2014, public employment in Argentina was 18% of total employment, the third largest share in the re-gion, where the average was 12%, and not far below the OECD average of 21.3%. Between 2009 and 2014, government employment as a percentage of total employment increased at a faster pace than the regional average. The increase in Argentina is partially driven by a rise in employment at subnational level in service occupations. However, in late 2015 the government issued decree 254/2015 to review the recruitment pro-cesses leading to this increase, the structure of public employment as well as to evaluate the employment needs of the public administration.

Chapter 3: Public employment

3.1. Public sector employment as a percentage of total employment, 2009 and 2014

Argentina supports e-procurement, but challenges remain in its use

Argentina – like the majority of LAC countries (19 out of 22) surveyed – has made progress in introducing ICT into its procurement system, by setting up an e-procurement portal where procurement opportunities are announced. However, in order to fully reap the benefits from e-procurement, Argentina’s procuring entities must address challenges such as low ICT knowledge and skills and low innovative culture.

Chapter 9: Public procurement

9.7. Functionalities provided in e-procurement systems, 20159.8. Main challenges to the use of e-procurement systems, 2015

Argentina

Government revenues(2014, 2015)

Government expenditures(2014, 2015)

Government gross debt(2014, 2015)

% of GDP % of GDP % of GDP

Source: IMF World Economic Outlook database Source: IMF Government Finance Statistics database

G@G /dataG@G /data -4.1%

Argentina

-4.5%-8%

0%

-2%

-6%

-4%

-7.4%

(2015) (2014) (2014)

Fiscal balance (2014, 2015)% of GDP

Government investment(2014)

% of GDP

How to read the figures:

Argentina

Country value in green (not represented if not available) Average of OECD country

values in blueRange of LAC country

values in grey

Public Finance & Economics Public Employment & Compensation

Public Finance and Economics

GOVERNMENT INPUTS: FINANCIAL AND HUMAN RESOURCES

Source: IMF World Economic Outlook database

Values have been rounded. n.a. refers to

data not availableAverage of LAC country values in purple

Breakdown of tax revenues(2014) *

% of total taxation

Argentina

Goods and services

Income and pro�ts

Social security49.5%

18.9%

49.5%27.9%

21.6%16.4%

Other

Source: OECD Revenue Statistics in Latin America (database). * See Notes

Source: IMF World Economic Outlook database

33.1%

10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Argentina

43.9%(2015)

37.7%(2014)

(2014)

2.6%n.a.

Argentina

1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6%

Source: IMF World Economic Outlook database

56.5% 100%

0%

100%

0%

Argentina

50.4%

60% 90% 120% 150%30%0%

45.1%(2015) (2014)

(2014)

50.3%

50%

40%

60%

53.5%Argentina

Public Employment and Compensation

G@G /data

Public sector employment filled by women

(2014) *

Source: International Labour Organization (database). * See Notes

Public sector employmentas % of total employment

(2014) *

Source: International Labour Organization (database). * See Notes

12.0% 5%

0%

25%

10%

15%

20%18.0%Argentina

10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

28.6%

Argentina

36.6%(2015)

33.6%(2014) (2014)

GOVERNMENT PROCESSES

Government Institutions Public Procurement Digital Government

Digital Government

iREG: Composite indicatoron stakeholder engagement (2015)

Source: OECD Indicators of Regulatory Policy and Governance for Latin America

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

n.a.

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

1.61

Argentina

Methodology

Systematicadoption

Transparency

Oversight,qualitycontrol

0

20

40

60

80

100

n.a.

0

20

40

60

80

100

45

Argentina

Civil service merit index(2012-2015)

Source: Inter-American Development Bank, 2014

7.7%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20%

n.a.

Argentina

Source: IMF Government Finance Statistics database. * See Notes

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

0.47

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

0.44

Argentina

Dataavailability

Dataaccessibility

Governmentsupportto re-use

Main nationalcitizens portal for

government services

Legally recogniseddigital identi�cation

(e.g. digital signature)mechanism

61%

Yes

56%

No

Argentina

Existence of a main national citizens portal forgovernment services and a legally recognised

digital identification mechanism (2015)

Source: OECD Survey on digital government performance

Health Financing Systems and Budget

The max. score for each category is 1, andthe max. aggregate score for the composite is 4

Composite index from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest)

High Moderate Low

33%47%20%

ModerateArgentina

Level of influence of theCentre of Government

over line ministries(2015)

Government Institutions

Source: OECD 2015 Survey on Centre of Government

Development of strategic public procurement by objective(2015)

Public ProcurementGovernment procurement

(2014) *% of GDP

Source: 2015 OECD Survey on Public Procurement

OURdata Index:Open, Useful, Reusable Government Data (2016)

Composite index from 0 (lowest) to 1 (highest)

Source: 2016 OECD Survey on Open Government Data

Greenpublic procurement

A strategy / policy has been developed by some procuring entities

A strategy / policy has been developed at a central level

MSMEs Procure innovativegoods and services

6 12 0

A strategy / policy has been rescinded

A strategy / policy has never been developed

6 4 19 0 1 2 12 0 8

Support to Women ownedenterprises

1 3 0 16

Argentina

GOVERNMENT PROCESSES

Notes

OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES

Argentina

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6Higher

inequality

Lowerinequality

Before After

0.510.45

taxes and transfers

Before After

0.52 0.50

taxes and transfers

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

Before After

0.47

0.29taxes and transfers

Higherinequality

Lowerinequality 0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

Gini coefficient: Differences in income inequality pre and post-tax and government transfers (2012)

For more information on the data (including full methodology and figure notes) and to consult all other Country Fact Sheets: http://www.oecd.org/gov/government-at-a-glance-lac.htm

* Tax revenues for Argentina exclude local government revenues but include provincial revenues. Public sector employment as % of total employment and public sector employment filled by women data for Argentina refer to urban areas only. Costs of goods and services financed by general government are not included in government procurement because they are not accounted separately in the IMF Government Finance Statistics (database).

Indicator from 0 (low income concentration) to 100 (high income concentration)

Health Financing Systems And Budget FormulationHealth care financing schemes and percentage of population covered (2015)

Source: 2015 OECD Survey of Budget Officials on Budgeting Practices for Health in LAC countries

0 20 40 60 80 1000 20 40 60 80 100

Socialhealth insurance

Voluntaryprivate insurance

Government�nancing scheme

Argentina

Compulsoryprivate insurance

Not coveredby any explicitarrangement

Other

0%

0%0%

100%47%11%

63%39%

6%2%2%4%

Source: OECD Income Distribution Database

Government at a Glance: Latin America and the Caribbean 2017 is the second edition of a joint publication between the Organization for Economic

Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). It provides readers with a dashboard of key indicators to

inform policy making and benchmark specific interventions. The model is the OECD Government at a Glance, which is a fundamental reference,

backed by a well-established methodology for OECD member countries. Compared to the previous edition that had a special focus on Public

Financial Management and alongside with indicators on public finances and public employment this second version covers a wider range of public

management areas including the role and influence of the Centre of Government, Open Government and Open Data policies, Digital Government,

Regulatory Governance and practices for Budgeting in health systems.

Government at a Glance: Latin America and the Caribbean 2017

The Excel spreadsheets used to create the tables and figures in Government at a Glance: Latin America and the Caribbean 2017 are available via the Stat-Links provided throughout the publication: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264265554-en