Database of Public Investment Expenditures in Latin America (BDD-GIPAL): 2000-2016

There are few centralized information systems on the evolution and composition of public investment expenditure in Latin America, a critical aspect for monitoring and evaluating investment priorities. The Database of Public Investment Expenditure in Latin America (BDD-GIPAL), available for 16 countries in the region, provides cross-classifications of expenditures (economic, institutional, and functional) for the period 2000-2016. Analysis of BDD-GIPAL helps answer three key questions: How much is invested? Who invests? And in what is it invested? Public investment in the region increased from 2.8% to 3.9% of GDP (2002-2006 vs. 2012-2016); however, this growth was driven by only five countries. Some countries in the region have delegated greater responsibility for public investment spending to subnational governments. In four countries, subnational governments account for over 50% of total public investment expenditure. Nearly 50% of public investment spending in the region has been directed toward transportation infrastructure and housing and community services. In the current context of fiscal constraints across the region, BDD-GIPAL serves as a valuable resource for policymakers and society at large to analyze the prioritization and quality of public investment expenditure.