Government at a Glance Latin America and the Caribbean 2020 Country Fact Sheet
Paraguay
Paraguay has the lowest gross debt as a percentage of GDP in the LAC region In 2018, Paraguay had a debt of 21.5% of GDP, the lowest among LAC countries due to strict fiscal rules and prudent macroeconomic policies. By comparison, the regional average was of 64.7% in the same year and the OECD average, 110%. Nevertheless, Paraguay’s debt increased 6.5 p.p. compared to 2007 and in line with the regional trend. Chapter 2: Public finance and economics 2.5. General government gross debt as percentage of GDP, 2007 and 2018
Paraguay has to strengthen key components of its public sector integrity system In 2018, Paraguay had a score of 0 in the indicator of Quality of Regulations Against Undue Influence in comparison to a LAC average of 4.08 (in a scale from 0 to 9, where 0 is the lowest and 9 is the highest). For example, Paraguay does not have any regulations of conflicts of interest for political positions (e.g. members of cabinet or of legislative bodies) nor cooling-off periods. Chapter 9: Public sector integrity 9.4. Index Quality of Regulations Against Undue Influence (pilot), 2018 9.7. Robustness of the Asset and Interest Disclosure System, 2018
Satisfaction with health significantly increased in Paraguay since 2007 In 2018, 52% of the respondents to the World Gallup Poll in Paraguay reported being satisfied with the health care system, compared to an average of 49% in LAC and an OECD average of 70%. This represents a 8 p.p. increase from 2007, the largest in the region. Chapter 11: Core government results 11.10. Citizen satisfaction with the health care system 2007 and 2018 How to read the figures:
Country value in green Values have been rounded. (not represented Range of LAC country Average of LAC country Average of OECD country n.a. refers to Paraguay if not available) values in grey values in purple values in blue data not available
Public Finance and Economics
Fiscal balance (2018) Government gross debt (2018) % of GDP % of GDP
-4.3% 64.7%
-1.3% 100% 21.5% Paraguay -2.9% Paraguay 108.6% 0%
-10% -8% -6% -4% -2% 0% +2% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120% 140%
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook database Source: IMF World Economic Outlook database
Public Employment
Government investment (2017) Public sector employment Gender equality in public sector % of GDP as % of total employment (2018) employment (2018) % of women 9.2% 50.3% 3.8% Paraguay Paraguay Paraguay
1.6% 3.1% 11.9% 21.1% 51.0% 60.2%
0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Source: IMF Government Finance Statistics database Source: International Labour Organization ILOSTAT database Source: International Labour Organization ILOSTAT database
Public Procurement
Government procurement Strategic public procurement by objective (2018) expenditures (2017)* % of GDP Support to Support to Support to Support to green innovative women- responsible public Support to goods and owned business procurement SMEs services businesses conducts Paraguay A strategy/policy has been developed Paraguay at a central level Some procuring entities have developed 6.4% 6.0% an internal strategy/policy 8 4 9 0 12 1 7 0 5 1 14 0 3 2 15 0 5 2 13 0 There has never been a strategy/policy in place A strategy/policy 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 28 10 0 0 24 8 2 0 22 8 5 0 6 1 24 0 18 8 9 0 has been rescinded
* See Notes Source: IMF Government Finance Statistics database Source: OECD-IDB Survey on Public Procurement Institutions Regulatory Governance
Level of influence of the iREG: Composite indicator on stakeholder engagement Centre of Government in developing subordinate regulations (2019) over line ministries (2018) The max. score for each category is 1, and the max. aggregate score for the composite is 4 Paraguay 4 4 Moderate n.a. 1.63 2.11 Paraguay 3 3 Oversight, quality control Transparency 64% 29% 2 2 Systematic adoption 7% Methodology 1 1 High Moderate None 0 0 Source: OECD-IDB Survey on Organisation and Functions of the Centre of Government Source: OECD Indicators of Regulatory Policy and Governance for Latin America
Open Government Data Public Sector Integrity
OURdata Index: Open, Useful, Reusable Government Data (2019) Index of quality of regulations against undue influence (2018) Composite index from 0 (worst) to 1 (best) Composite index from 0 (worst) to 9 (best)
Paraguay 1.0 1.0 Paraguay 0.52 0.43 0.60 9 9 0.8 0.8 8 0.00 4.08 8 Government support 7 7 Con ict of for data re-use 0.6 0.6 6 6 interest Data accessibility 5 5 regulation 0.4 0.4 4 4 Transparency Data availability 3 3 of in uence 0.2 0.2 2 2 seeking 1 1 Lobbying 0.0 0.0 0 0 regulation
Source: IMF Government Finance Statistics database. * See NotesSource: IDB-OECD Open Government Data Survey Source: OECD Questionnaire on Public Integrity in Latin America
Budgeting Practices Human Resources Management
Existence of participatory budgeting Proportion of vacancies that are published at the central/federal level and open to external recruitment (2018) (2018)
No n.a. Paraguay Paraguay
33% All 62% No 33% Most
38% Yes 25% Some 9% None
Source: OECD/IDB Survey of Budget Practices and Procedures Source: OECD/IDB Survey on Strategic Human Resources Management in Central/Federal Governments Core Government Results
Rule of Law Index: Constraint to government powers Satisfaction and confidence across public services (2019) (2018)
National government 46% 34% 100 Paraguay Paraguay 80 Average 1.0 1.0 60 Range
n.a. 0.53 0.76 40 0.8 0.8 20 Judicial system Health care 0.6 0.6 36% 34% 52% 49%
0.4 0.4 0.2 0.2 Average 0.0 0.0 Education system 66% 63% Source: World Justice Project Rule of Law Index Source: Gallup World Poll
Gini coefficient: Differences in income inequality pre and post-tax and government transfers (2017) Indicator from 0 (low income concentration) to 1 (high income concentration)
Five OECD OECD most unequal average Paraguay 0.6 0.6 0.6 Higher Higher inequality n.a. inequality 0.5 0.52 0.5 0.5 0.47 0.47 0.4 0.4 0.4 taxes and transfers0.37 taxes and transfers 0.3 0.3 0.32 0.3 Lower Lower inequality 0.2 0.2 0.2 inequality Before After Before After Before After
Source: OECD Income Distribution database and Balestra, C., et al. (2018), “Inequalities in emerging economies: Informing the policy dialogue on inclusive growth”
Notes LAC and OECD averages for Public finance and economics and Government procurement expenditures are weighted. * Data for Paraguay are recorded on a cash basis. Costs of goods and services financed by general government are not included in government procurement because they are not accounted separately in the IMF Government Finance Statistics (database).
For more information on the data (including full methodology and figure notes) and to consult all other Country Fact Sheets: http://www.oecd.org/gov/government-at-a-glance-lac.htm The Excel spreadsheets used to create the tables and figures in Government at a Glance: Latin America and the Caribbean 2020 are available via the StatLinks provided throughout the publication: https://doi.org/10.1787/13130fbb-en
Government at a Glance: Latin America and the Caribbean 2020
This third edition of Government at a Glance Latin America and the Caribbean provides the latest available evidence on public administrations and their performance in the LAC region and compares it to OECD countries. This publication includes indicators on public finances and economics, public employment, centres of government, regulatory governance, open government data, public sector integrity, public procurement and for the first time core government results (e.g. trust, inequality reduction). Governance indicators are especially useful for monitoring and benchmarking governments’ progress in their public sector reforms. Each indicator in the publication is presented in a user-friendly format, consisting of graphs and/or charts illustrating variations across countries and over time, brief descriptive analyses highlighting the major findings of the data, and a methodological section on the definition of the indicator and any limitations in data comparability.