Fall 2023 version -- data updated to 2022
The World Bank’s Prospects Group has constructed a comprehensive cross-country database of fiscal space. The database covers 202 countries over the period 1990-2022, and includes 29 indicators of fiscal space grouped into four categories:
- Government debt sustainability
- Balance sheet composition
- External and private sector debt
- Market access
The published article, written by M. Ayhan Kose, Sergio Kurlat, Franziska Ohnsorge, and Naotaka Sugawara, provides detailed information on the database and shows potential applications of the database by analyzing developments over time and during a wide range of adverse events, including financial crises, recessions, natural disasters, and wars. The working paper, originally prepared in 2017, also presents additional information and analysis related to the database.
Data Download
The data are available for download in Excel and Stata.
Citation
When using the data, please cite the following paper as the data source:
Kose, M. Ayhan, Sergio Kurlat, Franziska Ohnsorge, and Naotaka Sugawara. 2022. "A Cross-Country Database of Fiscal Space." Journal of International Money and Finance 128 (November): 102682.
Disclaimer
The concept of fiscal space used here may differ from the definition used in operational documents as defined in World Bank (2017).
