The criterion for inclusion in this study is the availability of non interpolated government
budget data for the general government. All the data are from National Income
Accounts; government spending includes all spending on goods and services, both in the
current account (“government consumption”) and in the capital account (“government investment”).
The latter is gross of capital depreciation allowances, net of net purchases of
non-produced assets, and net of investment by government enterprises - hence it is largely unaffected by the process of privatization in the last two decades.