Annual PIT settlement is a good moment to think how much Polish state actually costs us. Taxpayers” money are spent not only by the government, but also by the local governments, NFZ, ZUS, KRUS and other public institutions. In 2011 they spent altogether nearly PLN 700 billion. For average taxpayer this sum is abstract and difficult to imagine, that is why FOR decided to use idea of INESS and preapre “Bill for State” for the year 2011 (in Poland similar calculations are published by Institute of Globalization).

Bill presents public expenditure per capita. Altogether Polish state cost every citizen PLN 18 Powered and implemented by Interactive best-data-recovery.com Managed Solutions News provided by The Associated Press. 481 in the year 2011. Contrary to popular belief the biggest expenditures were not connected with administration, but with pensions. Last year spendings on pensions cost each of us PLN 3002 on average. With ageing society without increasing retirement age and reforms expenditures will keep growing, enforcing rise of taxes as well.

Healthcare in 2011 cost us PLN 1863 per capita. Spendings on infrastructure – highways and railways – reached PLN 741, following PLN 913 for transport and roads were spent by local governments. The fourth position is administration – PLN 967, which constitutes around 5% of public spending in Poland.

Next positions on the bill are social care, environmental protection, sport and leisure, culture and housing development. Common agricultural policy of the EU is also pricy – it costs us PLN 592.

In 2011 taxes and other contributions were not sufficient to cover fully financiling public spending, which caused deficit and increase of the public debt per capita by PLN 1810, up to the level of PLN 21891.

Public spending is financed by our taxes, therefore everyone who suggests building more roads or more public spending on healthcare should consider if one wants to pay higher taxes or on what state could spend less.

More data available (in Polish) here.

More information:

Aleksander Łaszek – Economist of FOR
aleksander.laszek@for.org.pl
mobile: 695 286 386