Die fünfte Ausgabe von “Government at a Glance” der OECD ist erschienen. Die Publikation vereint 60 Indikatoren, die verschiedene Aspekte der Regierungsführung und Verwaltung in den 35 OECD-Ländern, aber auch in grossen Schwellenländern wie Indien oder Russland, vergleichbar machen. Dazu zählen Daten über öffentliche Finanzen, Beschäftigung in öffentlichen Ämtern, aber auch zur Zufriedenheit der Bürger mit dem öffentlichen Dienst.

Die öffentlichen Ausgaben in den OECD-Ländern beliefen sich 2015 im Schnitt auf 40.9% des Bruttoinlandprodukts des jeweiligen Landes, verglichen mit 38.8% im Jahr 2007. Die Sozialausgaben sind aufgrund der alternden Bevölkerung und der wachsenden Arbeitslosigkeit deutlich angestiegen. Sie lagen 2015 bei 41% der gesamten öffentlichen Ausgaben, verglichen mit 37% im Jahr 2007. Die Beschäftigung im öffentlichen Dienst hat sich dagegen kaum verändert. Sie lag 2015 im Schnitt bei 18.1% aller Erwerbstätigen; 2007 waren es 17.9%.

This fifth anniversary edition of Government at a Glance comes at a time of great political, economic and social uncertainty. Ten years after the global financial crisis, the economic recovery is not robust enough to yield a durable improvement in potential output or to reduce persistent inequalities. Rapid technological change, disruptive innovation and shorter economic cycles are hallmarks of today’s world. They create new opportunities, but also make people’s lives more unpredictable and insecure.

Open, fair and effective public governance is required

There is also a widespread perception among the population that the benefits of global economic liberalisation have been largely reaped by a few. Briding divides among the winners from globalisation and those left vulnerable, and navigating successfully in uncertain times requires open, fair and effective public governance.

Public institutions and governance must be strengthened

The importance of strengthening public institutions and governance is underlined by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and especially by Goal 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. However, the share of citizens in OECD countries who report having confidence in their national government remains low (42%), and is still below pre-crisis levels. Re-connecting governments and citizens calls for further action and this study can help governments answer that call.

Government at a Glance 2017 shows important efforts by government to engage more with citizens, businesses and civil society. Governments are moving towards open government to improve their policies and services and to prevent policy capture.

New technologies and insights can improve the effectiveness of public policies

In 2017, close to 50% of OECD countries adopted a national open government policy. However, results from the new OECD OURdata Index show that, although countries have made strides in releasing open government data using open and re-usable formats, more can be done to pro-actively stimulate their re-use among citizens and businesses. The use of new technologies and insights from new approaches, such as those grounded in behavioural sciences, can help support the co-design and co-production of services with citizens and improve the effectiveness of public policies.

Fight for more gender equality has to start inside public institutions

This publication also brings new evidence on critical issues for public governance, for example the representation of women in public life. On average, only 29% of parliamentarians in OECD countries are women and only 28% of government ministers are women. Similarly, while 58% of the public-sector workforce are women, they hold only 32% of senior positions. The fight for more gender equality has to start inside public institutions.

Governments must compare practices and performance and identify how they could be improved

This is just an example of the many key areas reflected in the set of indicators presented in this 5th edition. Others include public finance and employment, budgeting practices and procedures and risk governance and communication. They enable more evidence-based decision making and allow governments to compare their practices and performance and identify how they could be improved.

By extending the scope and increasing the timeliness of the governance indicators and analysis, and presenting them in a variety of electronic formats, Government at a Glance 2017 will be a critical resource for policy makers, citizens, and researchers in their pursuit of better governance and more inclusive policies for better lives.