The Output Effects of Fiscal Consolidations : Does Spending Composition Matter?

This paper studies whether changes in the composition of public spending affect the macroeconomic consequences of fiscal consolidations. Results based on a sample of advanced and developing countries show that while fiscal consolidations tend to be contractionary on average, the size of the output fall depends on the behavior of public investment vis-á-vis public consumption during the fiscal adjustment. When public investment is penalized relative to public consumption, and thus its share in public expenditures decreases, a 1 percent of GDP consolidation reduces output by 0.7 percent after two years. In contrast, safeguarding public investment from budget cuts can neutralize the contractionary effects of fiscal adjustments and can even spur output growth over time. The component of GDP that explains the heterogeneity between both types of adjustments the most is private investment. The results inform how fiscal adjustments can be designed to protect economic growth