R.I. ranks No. 20 for highest public expenditures per $1K of income in nation

RHODE ISLAND RANKED No. 20 in the nation for highest total state and local expenditure in fiscal 2015. / COURTESY RIPEC
RHODE ISLAND RANKED No. 20 in the nation for highest total state and local expenditure in fiscal 2015. / COURTESY RIPEC

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island ranked No. 20 for the highest total state and local government expenditures per $1,000 of personal income in the “How Rhode Island Expenditures Compare 2017” report released by the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council Friday.

Rhode Island’s expenditures totaled $227.18 per $1,000 of personal income. The state and local expenditure data is based on fiscal 2015 numbers.

A SIDE BY SIDE comparison of Rhode Island’s fiscal 2015 expenditure allocation percentages versus the U.S. national average

Rhode Island improved its rank by two spots from fiscal 2005 to fiscal 2015.

Per capita, Rhode Island ranked No. 15 in the nation for highest public expenditures in fiscal 2015, an improvement from a No. 9 rank in fiscal 2005.

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Total expenditures in Rhode Island in fiscal 2015 were estimated to be $11.9 billion, a 29.3 percent increase over the 10-year period. By comparison, public expenditures across 49 states and the District of Columbia increased on average by 43.6 percent.

Total state and local government expenditures (which include direct general expenditures plus utility and liquor expenditures, and insurance trust expenditures) in Rhode Island were $11.9 billion in fiscal 2015, or $226.83 per $1,000 of personal income, which ranked No. 2 for highest total expenditures per $1,000 in New England, behind Vermont.

Direct general expenditures (which include education & libraries, social services & income maintenance, transportation, public safety, environment & housing, government administration & interest on general debt, and other) in Rhode Island increased 27.8 percent from fiscal 2005 to fiscal 2015 to $10.1 billion.

/COURTESY RIPEC

Rhode Island’s highest ranked expenditures:

Rhode Island ranked No. 2 in the nation for highest government administration and interest on general debt per $1,000 of personal income at $22.24. The national average was $15.21. This was in large part to ranking No. 1 in the nation for interest on general debt at $11.94 per $1,000 of personal income (the national average was $6.80).

The Ocean State ranked No. 4 for highest state and local intergovernmental expenditures in the nation at 35 cents per $1,000 of personal income (versus the national average of 22 cents).

Rhode Island ranked No. 6 in the nation for the most public safety expenditures per $1,000 of personal income at $18.53 (compared with the national average of $15.53).

Rhode Island ranked No. 6 for insurance trust per $1,000 of personal income at $28.04. The national average was $20.85 per $1,000.

Other expenditure rankings:

The Ocean State ranked No. 20 for highest environment and housing expenditures in the nation with $13.61 per $1,000 of personal income (versus a national average of $12.48).

Rhode Island ranked No. 26 in the nation for both highest education and library expenditures, and social services and income maintenance expenditures at $63.04 and $55.03 per $1,000 of personal income, respectively, roughly the national average in both cases.

Rhode Island ranked No. 45 in the nation for highest transportation costs per $1,000 of personal income in the nation at $10.01 (compared with $12.80 nationally).

Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor.

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