EU Budget and general government public spending in the EU

Amounting to €136.4 billion in 2016, the EU Budget accounts for less than 1 % (0.92 % in 2016) of the European Union’s gross national income (GNI), while Member States’ public spending represents, on average, 47 % of their GNI. The EU Budget therefore represents some 2 % of total public spending in the European Union (see Figure 3), reflecting the fact that spending competences and resources in most policy areas lie mainly at national and/or local levels. These data show a situation very different from that of federal entities, where federal spending usually represents some 50 % at least of final public spending (or 15 20 % of gross domestic product) in decentralised models, such as the USA.