Why our world needs fiscal restraint in biggest-ever election year

These two economies also shape global fiscal developments and outlook. Slowing growth in China could weigh on global growth and trade, posing fiscal challenges for countries with strong trade and investment linkages. High and volatile government bond yields in the United States would lead to tighter financing conditions in the rest of the world.

Moderate fiscal tightening is expected to resume this year, but significant uncertainty remains.

In 2024, a record number of countries, home to more than half of the world’s population, are holding national elections. History shows governments tend to spend more and tax less during election years. Deficits in election years tend to exceed forecasts by 0.4 percentage points of GDP, compared to non-election years. In this great election year, governments should exercise fiscal restraint to preserve sound public finances.

While we project modest fiscal tightening over the medium term, it will be insufficient to stabilize public debt in many countries. Our chapter shows that, under current policies, primary deficits—which exclude interest expenses—will remain above debt-stabilizing levels in 2029 in about a third of advanced and emerging market economies and in almost a quarter of low-income developing countries. The size of necessary further adjustments varies. The required average reduction in primary deficits is particularly large for emerging markets with rising public debt-to-GDP ratios in our projections. We estimate it at 2.1 percentage points of GDP. The country groups in this paragraph include the two largest economies—the United States and China—in the appropriate aggregate.

Without further efforts, the return of fiscal policy to its prepandemic normal may take years. Spending pressures to address structural challenges—including demographic and green transitions—are becoming more pressing, while slowing medium-term growth prospects and high real interest rates are likely to further constrain fiscal space in most economies.

Countries need decisive efforts to safeguard sustainable public finances and rebuild fiscal buffers. The pace of consolidation should be calibrated depending on fiscal risks and macroeconomic conditions that each country faces. Countries will need to act resolutely in cases where sovereign risks are elevated and fiscal credibility is lacking.

Governments should immediately phase out legacies of crisis-era fiscal policy, including energy subsidies, and pursue reforms to curb rising spending while protecting the most vulnerable. Advanced economies with aging populations should contain spending pressures for health and pensions through entitlement reforms and other measures.

Revenue should keep up with spending over time. In advanced economies, targeting excessive profits as part of the corporate income tax system could further bolster revenues. Emerging market and developing economies could raise their tax revenue potential by broadening tax bases, improving the design of their tax systems, and strengthening revenue administration. Such measures could, in ideal circumstances, yield as much as an additional 9 percent of GDP, our research shows.

The foundations for sound and sustainable public finances require a medium-term approach to budgetary planning and execution. All countries can benefit from enhanced transparency of public finances and greater use of modern technology, known as GovTech. For countries in severe debt distress, orderly and timely debt restructuring is important. Continued international cooperation, including through the Group of Twenty Common Framework and the Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable, is crucial to facilitate an efficient debt restructuring process.

Source: Norvanreports