January 2018 | by International Budget Partnership
The International Budget Partnership’s Open Budget Survey (OBS) is the world’s only independent, comparative assessment of the three pillars of public budget accountability: transparency, oversight and public participation. The Open Budget Survey 2017 evaluated 115 countries across six continents, adding 13 new countries to the survey since the last round in 2015. Independent researchers in each country evaluated:
- Budget transparency: the amount, level of detail, and timeliness of budget information governments are making publicly available. Countries are given a score between 0 and 100 that determines their ranking on the Open Budget Index. After 10 years of steady progress by countries, the 2017 survey shows a modest decline in average global budget transparency scores, from 45 in 2015 to 43 in 2017 for the 102 countries that were surveyed in both rounds.
- Budget participation: the opportunities governments provide to civil society and the general public to engage in decisions about how public resources are raised and spent. The 2017 survey revealed that most countries fail to provide meaningful opportunities for the public to participate in the budget process.
- Budget oversight: the capacity and authority of formal institutions (such as legislatures and supreme audit institutions) to understand and influence how public resources are being raised and spent. The 2017 survey found that only 32 countries’ legislatures (28 percent) have adequate oversight practices.
Jump to: Full Reports | Open Budget Index Rankings | Executive Summaries | Key Findings | Country Summaries | Infographic | Methodology | Questionnaire and Guidelines | Datasets | Other Resources
Full Reports
The Open Budget Survey 2017 full report is the most comprehensive resource available on the findings and recommendations of this global assessment of budget transparency, participation, and oversight. It includes detailed information on the key findings, country rankings, research methodology, and more.
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Report – English
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Report – Arabic
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Report – French
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Report – Portuguese
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Report – Russian
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Report – Spanish
Open Budget Index Rankings
The Open Budget Index is the world’s only independent and comparative measure of budget transparency. The Open Budget Index scores each country from 0 to 100, based on the average responses to the 109 indicators the Open Budget Survey uses to measure budget transparency. These indicators are used to assess whether the central government makes eight key budget documents available to the public in a timely manner and whether the information contained in these documents is comprehensive and useful.
Executive Summaries
Adapted from the complete report of the Open Budget Survey 2017, the executive summary brings together the survey’s global findings with recommendations for governments, and civil society, and donors to improve budget transparency, participation, and oversight in budget processes around the world.
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Executive Summary – English
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Executive Summary – Arabic
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Executive Summary – French
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Executive Summary – Portuguese
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Executive Summary – Russian
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Executive Summary – Spanish
Key Findings
This short summary focuses on key findings from the Open Budget Survey 2017.
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Key Findings – English
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Key Findings – French
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Key Findings – Spanish
Country Summaries
Country Summaries
Individual Open Budget Survey country summaries are available for download on each country’s results page.
Infographic
Key findings from the Open Budget Survey 2017, visualized.
Methodology
Learn more about the research methodology used for the Open Budget Survey 2017.
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Methodology – English
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Methodology – French
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Methodology – Portuguese
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Methodology – Spanish
Questionnaires & Questionnaire Guidelines
The results for each country in the Open Budget Survey 2017 are based on a questionnaire, comprising 145 scored questions, that is completed by independent researchers typically based in the country surveyed. Almost all of the researchers responsible for completing the questionnaire are from academic institutions or civil society organizations that have a common interest in promoting transparent and responsive budgeting practices in their countries.
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Questionnaire and Guidelines – English
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Questionnaire and Guidelines – Arabic
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Questionnaire and Guidelines – French
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Questionnaire and Guidelines – Portuguese
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Questionnaire and Guidelines – Russian
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Questionnaire and Guidelines – Spanish
Datasets
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Data (Excel, CSV)
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Data Codebook
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Data (.dta file, for use with STATA)
Media Resources
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Press Release – English
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Press Release – Arabic
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Press Release – French
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Press Release – Portuguese
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Press Release – Russian
- Open Budget Survey 2017 Press Release – Spanish
Related
Full reports, rankings, and other publications from previous rounds of the Open Budget Survey can be found at the links below: