// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Scotland's public spending deficit falls as tax take rises
Scotland's public spending deficit fell by £600m last year to £25.3bn after an increase in the amount raised in taxes, figures show.
The annual Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (Gers) report compares the tax raised in Scotland with public spending for and on behalf of Scotland.
It said that revenue had grown by £6.3bn to £98.3bn, an increase of 6.9%, while there was a slower growth in expenditure, which rose by £5.7bn to £123.6bn - an increase of 4.8%.
The largest increases in revenue came from national insurance contributions, which were up by £2.4bn, and income tax receipts, up by £1.5bn.
The expenditure of £123.6bn is the amount spent by the Scottish, UK and local governments north of the border - as well as a share of spending on shared provision such as defence and debt.
Overall North Sea oil and gas revenue fell for the third consecutive year - down to £3.9bn from £4.5bn. Scotland's geographical share of that revenue fell from £3.6bn to £3.2bn
Spending per person in Scotland was £22,281 - £2,720 higher than the rate per person in the UK.
The report says some of that difference can be explained by the fact that water and sewage services are publicly funded in Scotland, unlike in England and Wales.
It also found that public spending in Scotland remained at a historic high, rising by £5.7bn to £123.6bn - almost nine percentage points higher than before the Covid pandemic.
Social protection, including state pensions and benefits, accounted for almost a third of the expenditure, rising by £2.1bn to £36.5bn.