Where your tax goes

Economic

Economy and business

In 2026-27 the Government plans to spend HK$57.0 billion on the Economic group p.12. That is 6.8% of all government spending (our calculation) p.12, and 9.7% more than the 2025-26 revised estimate p.12.

Of this, HK$19.2 billion p.9 is recurrent spending (33.7%, our calculation): salaries, grants, allowances and running costs paid year after year. The rest goes on building works, equipment and one-off items.

A household on the median income pays about HK$1,120 in salaries tax for 2026/27; about HK$75 of that would go to the Economic group (our calculation) p.12. Try your own amount

This is an illustration, not a bill. Tax is not earmarked: your tax goes into one pot with profits tax, stamp duties, land sales, investment income and borrowing. We split the amount you enter in the same proportions as the Government's planned spending for 2026-27.

How we worked these out
Share of government spending
Economic total government expenditure ÷ all government expenditure p.12
Recurrent share
recurrent government expenditure ÷ total government expenditure p.9 p.12
Of HK$1,120
HK$1,120 × the share of government spending, with rounding adjusted so the ten groups add up exactly (as on the receipt). p.12 A household on the median income earns HK$30,000 a month p.17. If one married person earns all of it, salaries tax under the 2026/27 rules is about HK$1,120 (our calculation, after MPF and the married person's allowance p.107, at progressive rates p.1).
Change
The official percentage printed in the Budget (2026-27 estimate against 2025-26 revised estimate, nominal). p.12

Economic is number 7 of the 10 groups by size

2026-27 estimate, total government expenditure by policy area group. Percentages are shares of all government spending (our calculation). p.12

  1. Health HK$153.1 billion · 18.2% p.12
  2. Social Welfare HK$148.1 billion · 17.6% p.12
  3. Infrastructure HK$124.9 billion · 14.8% p.12
  4. Education HK$112.0 billion · 13.3% p.12
  5. Support HK$90.1 billion · 10.7% p.12
  6. Security HK$71.5 billion · 8.5% p.12
  7. Economic HK$57.0 billion · 6.8% p.12
  8. Environment and Food HK$51.3 billion · 6.1% p.12
  9. Community and External Affairs HK$28.0 billion · 3.3% p.12
  10. Housing HK$7.4 billion · 0.9% p.12

Spending over three years

Economic spending (HK$ million)
Measure 2024-25Actual2025-26Revised estimate2026-27Estimate Change Source
Total government expenditure 54,91351,93756,955 +9.7% p.12
Recurrent government expenditure 18,32018,29219,202 +5.0% p.9
Total public expenditure 58,72555,87960,861 +8.9% p.11

“Change” is the official percentage printed in the Budget: 2026-27 estimate against the 2025-26 revised estimate (nominal).

Government expenditure covers the General Revenue Account and several government funds, such as the Capital Works Reserve Fund. Recurrent spending is what is paid every year. Public expenditure also adds the trading funds and the Housing Authority.

Public expenditure here is slightly higher than government expenditure because it includes spending by the Government's trading funds. All trading funds together plan to spend HK$4.3 billion in 2026-27 p.4.

Policy areas and the departments behind them

The Economic group is made up of 9 policy areas. Each is served by one or more departments, as listed in the Index of Policy Areas in the Estimates.

The Government publishes totals only for the ten groups, not for each policy area. The figure beside each department is its whole budget, not just the part for this area, so don't add them up: many departments work across several areas, and spending from the Capital Works Reserve Fund and other funds (most building projects) is not in department budgets.

Financial Services

Department (head) 2026-27EstimateHK$ million Source
Miscellaneous Services Part of this department's spending: it also works in 1 other policy area 6,299.8 p.3
Customs and Excise Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 4 other policy areas 6,163.0 p.1
In this area: Programme (1) Control and Enforcement This programme also serves other policy areas 4,859.5 p.12
Government Secretariat: Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (Financial Services Branch) 582.3 p.2
Official Receiver’s Office 234.9 p.3

Air and Sea Communications and Logistics Development

Department (head) 2026-27EstimateHK$ million Source
Civil Engineering and Development Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 6 other policy areas 4,190.1 p.1
Marine Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 6 other policy areas 1,840.0 p.3
Civil Aviation Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 2 other policy areas 1,468.8 p.1
Government Secretariat: Transport and Logistics Bureau Part of this department's spending: it also works in 2 other policy areas 441.7 p.2

Posts, Competition Policy and Consumer Protection

Department (head) 2026-27EstimateHK$ million Source
Government Secretariat: Commerce and Economic Development Bureau Part of this department's spending: it also works in 3 other policy areas 13,543.5 p.1
Customs and Excise Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 4 other policy areas 6,163.0 p.1
In this area: Programme (3) Intellectual Property Rights and Consumer Protection This programme also serves other policy areas 538.3 p.12

Travel and Tourism

Department (head) 2026-27EstimateHK$ million Source
Government Secretariat: Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau Part of this department's spending: it also works in 2 other policy areas 5,611.4 p.1
Civil Engineering and Development Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 6 other policy areas 4,190.1 p.1
Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 4 other policy areas 2,240.7 p.1
Electrical and Mechanical Services Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 6 other policy areas 1,420.0 p.1

Commerce and Industry

Department (head) 2026-27EstimateHK$ million Source
Government Secretariat: Commerce and Economic Development Bureau Part of this department's spending: it also works in 3 other policy areas 13,543.5 p.1
Customs and Excise Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 4 other policy areas 6,163.0 p.1
In this area: Programme (1) Control and Enforcement This programme also serves other policy areas 4,859.5 p.12
In this area: Programme (3) Intellectual Property Rights and Consumer Protection This programme also serves other policy areas 538.3 p.12
In this area: Programme (5) Trade Controls 226.1 p.12
Trade and Industry Department 1,728.1 p.3
Census and Statistics Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 2 other policy areas 960.0 p.1
Government Secretariat: Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau Part of this department's spending: it also works in 3 other policy areas 876.7 p.1
Government Secretariat: Overseas Economic and Trade Offices 598.9 p.2
Invest Hong Kong 361.4 p.2
Intellectual Property Department 309.8 p.2

Public Safety

Department (head) 2026-27EstimateHK$ million Source
Government Secretariat: Environment and Ecology Bureau (Environment Branch) Part of this department's spending: it also works in 2 other policy areas 630.0 p.1
Hong Kong Observatory Part of this department's spending: it also works in 1 other policy area 469.1 p.2

Employment and Labour

Department (head) 2026-27EstimateHK$ million Source
Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency Part of this department's spending: it also works in 3 other policy areas 7,517.8 p.3
Labour Department 4,629.9 p.2
Marine Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 6 other policy areas 1,840.0 p.3

Information Technology and Broadcasting

Department (head) 2026-27EstimateHK$ million Source
Government Secretariat: Commerce and Economic Development Bureau Part of this department's spending: it also works in 3 other policy areas 13,543.5 p.1
Government Secretariat: Digital Policy Office 4,139.3 p.1
Government Secretariat: Innovation and Technology Commission Part of this department's spending: it also works in 1 other policy area 2,515.9 p.2
Radio Television Hong Kong 1,123.9 p.3
Census and Statistics Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 2 other policy areas 960.0 p.1
Government Secretariat: Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau Part of this department's spending: it also works in 1 other policy area 342.7 p.2
Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration Part of this department's spending: it also works in 1 other policy area 60.2 p.3

Manpower Development

Department (head) 2026-27EstimateHK$ million Source
Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency Part of this department's spending: it also works in 3 other policy areas 7,517.8 p.3
Government Secretariat: Labour and Welfare Bureau Part of this department's spending: it also works in 2 other policy areas 1,679.0 p.2

Main spending lines

Each line is printed in the Estimates. “Of a typical household's HK$1,120” = HK$1,120 × the line ÷ total government expenditure of HK$843.4 billion (our calculation) p.12.

Main departments

The Tourism Board's funding is listed under measures in the Budget Speech below.

HK$ million
Item 2025-26Revised estimate 2026-27Estimate Of a typical household's HK$1,120 Source
Labour Department 3,451.2 4,629.9 HK$6 p.2
Government Secretariat: Digital Policy Office 3,468.7 4,139.3 HK$5 p.1
Government Secretariat: Innovation and Technology Commission Part of this department's spending counts in other groups 707.2 2,515.9 HK$3 p.2
Trade and Industry Department 2,028.5 1,728.1 HK$2 p.3
Radio Television Hong Kong 1,532.7 1,123.9 HK$1 p.3
Government Secretariat: Overseas Economic and Trade Offices 471.4 598.9 HK$1 p.2
Hong Kong Observatory Part of this department's spending counts in other groups 470.4 469.1 HK$1 p.2
Invest Hong Kong 303.8 361.4 under HK$1 p.2

Measures in the Budget Speech

The Financial Secretary announced these measures in the Budget Speech in February 2026. The speech does not sort them into policy area groups; we matched them by topic. Many amounts are earmarks, injections into funds or spread over several years, so they are not the same as 2026-27 spending.

Measure Amount What the amount is Source
Hong Kong Tourism Board Speech paragraph 182 HK$1,660 million 2026-27 allocation p.63
Capital for the Hetao Hong Kong Park company Speech paragraph 67 HK$10 billion Capital for a company; needs Legislative Council approval p.27
Start-up capital for a San Tin Technopole development company Speech paragraph 69 HK$10 billion Capital for a company; needs Legislative Council approval p.28
Start-up capital for the Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park Company Speech paragraph 211 HK$10 billion Capital for a company; needs Legislative Council approval p.71
Re-employment Allowance Pilot Scheme Speech paragraph 245 HK$222 million 2026-27 provision p.80
First national manufacturing innovation centre outside the Mainland Speech paragraph 60 HK$220 million Earmark p.25
Injection into the BUD Fund (branding, upgrading and domestic sales) Speech paragraph 132 HK$200 million Paid into a fund, which spends it over time p.47
Northern Metropolis Urban-rural Integration Fund (pilot) Speech paragraph 190 HK$200 million Funding for a pilot scheme p.65
Attracting large international exhibitions (pilot) Speech paragraph 136 HK$100 million Earmark p.48
Port dues concessions and incentives for green-fuel ships Speech paragraph 148 HK$34 million Government subsidy p.52