Where your tax goes

Economic

Economy and business

The Government plans to spend HK$57.0 billion on the Economic group in 2026-27, 9.7% more than last year's revised estimate. p.12

Number 7 of the ten groups, with 6.8% of government spending (our calculation). p.12

Of HK$1,120 in tax, about HK$76 corresponds to this group. p.12 Change amount

Main spending at a glance

2026-27 budget · change from last year · your share SourcesSummary of expenditure, p.2Summary of expenditure, p.1Summary of expenditure, p.3Budget Appendix B, p.12

  1. Labour Department HK$4.6bn ▲34.2% · HK$6.1
  2. Government Secretariat: Digital Policy Office HK$4.1bn ▲19.3% · HK$5.5
  3. Government Secretariat: Innovation and Technology Commission HK$2.5bn ▲255.8% · HK$3.3
  4. Trade and Industry Department HK$1.7bn ▼14.8% · HK$2.3
  5. Radio Television Hong Kong HK$1.1bn ▼26.7% · HK$1.5

These are selected lines and can overlap. Some departments and funds also cover other groups, so do not add them together. Changes and personal shares are our calculation.

This is a split by budget share. Taxes are not set aside for particular uses. How we split it

Explore the detail

Main departments

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

Main departments

2026-27 budgets; changes against last year's revised estimate (our calculation). SourcesSummary of expenditure, p.2Summary of expenditure, p.1Summary of expenditure, p.3

  1. Labour Department HK$4.6bn ▲34.2% · HK$6.1
  2. Government Secretariat: Digital Policy Office HK$4.1bn ▲19.3% · HK$5.5
  3. Government Secretariat: Innovation and Technology Commission Part of this department's spending counts in other groups HK$2.5bn ▲255.8% · HK$3.3
  4. Trade and Industry Department HK$1.7bn ▼14.8% · HK$2.3
  5. Radio Television Hong Kong HK$1.1bn ▼26.7% · HK$1.5
  6. Government Secretariat: Overseas Economic and Trade Offices HK$599m ▲27.0% · HK$0.8
  7. Hong Kong Observatory Part of this department's spending counts in other groups HK$469m ▼0.3% · HK$0.6
  8. Invest Hong Kong HK$361m ▲18.9% · HK$0.5
See last year's figures

Compare with last year SourcesSummary of expenditure, p.2Summary of expenditure, p.1Summary of expenditure, p.3

Item2026-27EstimateChange2025-26Revised estimate
Labour DepartmentHK$4.6bn4,629.9+HK$1.2bn · +34.2%3,451.2
Government Secretariat: Digital Policy OfficeHK$4.1bn4,139.3+HK$671m · +19.3%3,468.7
Government Secretariat: Innovation and Technology CommissionHK$2.5bn2,515.9+HK$1.8bn · +255.8%707.2
Trade and Industry DepartmentHK$1.7bn1,728.1−HK$300m · −14.8%2,028.5
Radio Television Hong KongHK$1.1bn1,123.9−HK$409m · −26.7%1,532.7
Government Secretariat: Overseas Economic and Trade OfficesHK$599m598.9+HK$127m · +27.0%471.4
Hong Kong ObservatoryHK$469m469.1−HK$1.3m · −0.3%470.4
Invest Hong KongHK$361m361.4+HK$57.5m · +18.9%303.8
Three years: actual, revised estimate, estimate

Spending over three years SourcesBudget Appendix B, p.12Budget Appendix B, p.9Budget Appendix B, p.11

Expanded amounts are in HK$ million; percentages come from Budget Appendix B.

Measure2026-27EstimateChange2025-26Revised estimate2024-25Actual
Government expenditureHK$57.0bn56,955+HK$5.0bn · +9.7%51,93754,913
Recurrent spendingHK$19.2bn19,202+HK$910m · +5.0%18,29218,320
Public expenditureHK$60.9bn60,861+HK$5.0bn · +8.9%55,87958,725

Recurrent spending covers yearly costs such as pay, grants and allowances. Public expenditure also includes the Housing Authority and trading funds.

Policy areas and departments

Department figures are whole budgets and can include other policy areas. Do not add them together as this group's spending. Index of Policy Areas

Financial Services

Departments that contribute

SourcesSummary of expenditure, p.3Summary of expenditure, p.1Estimates, Head 31, p.12Summary of expenditure, p.2

  1. Miscellaneous Services Part of this department's spending: it also works in 1 other policy area HK$6.3bn
  2. Customs and Excise Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 4 other policy areas HK$6.2bn
  3. of which: Control and Enforcement HK$4.9bn
  4. Government Secretariat: Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (Financial Services Branch) HK$582m
  5. Official Receiver’s Office HK$235m
Air and Sea Communications and Logistics Development

Departments that contribute

SourcesSummary of expenditure, p.1Summary of expenditure, p.3Summary of expenditure, p.2

  1. Civil Engineering and Development Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 6 other policy areas HK$4.2bn
  2. Marine Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 6 other policy areas HK$1.8bn
  3. Civil Aviation Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 2 other policy areas HK$1.5bn
  4. Government Secretariat: Transport and Logistics Bureau Part of this department's spending: it also works in 2 other policy areas HK$442m
Posts, Competition Policy and Consumer Protection

Departments that contribute

p.1 p.12

  1. Government Secretariat: Commerce and Economic Development Bureau Part of this department's spending: it also works in 3 other policy areas HK$13.5bn
  2. Customs and Excise Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 4 other policy areas HK$6.2bn
  3. of which: Intellectual Property Rights and Consumer Protection HK$538m
Travel and Tourism

Departments that contribute

p.1

  1. Government Secretariat: Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau Part of this department's spending: it also works in 2 other policy areas HK$5.6bn
  2. Civil Engineering and Development Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 6 other policy areas HK$4.2bn
  3. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 4 other policy areas HK$2.2bn
  4. Electrical and Mechanical Services Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 6 other policy areas HK$1.4bn
Commerce and Industry

Departments that contribute

SourcesSummary of expenditure, p.1Estimates, Head 31, p.12Summary of expenditure, p.3Summary of expenditure, p.2

  1. Government Secretariat: Commerce and Economic Development Bureau Part of this department's spending: it also works in 3 other policy areas HK$13.5bn
  2. Customs and Excise Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 4 other policy areas HK$6.2bn
  3. of which: Control and Enforcement HK$4.9bn
  4. of which: Intellectual Property Rights and Consumer Protection HK$538m
  5. of which: Trade Controls HK$226m
  6. Trade and Industry Department HK$1.7bn
  7. Census and Statistics Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 2 other policy areas HK$960m
  8. Government Secretariat: Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau Part of this department's spending: it also works in 3 other policy areas HK$877m
  9. Government Secretariat: Overseas Economic and Trade Offices HK$599m
  10. Invest Hong Kong HK$361m
  11. Intellectual Property Department HK$310m
Public Safety

Departments that contribute

p.1 p.2

  1. Government Secretariat: Environment and Ecology Bureau (Environment Branch) Part of this department's spending: it also works in 2 other policy areas HK$630m
  2. Hong Kong Observatory Part of this department's spending: it also works in 1 other policy area HK$469m
Employment and Labour

Departments that contribute

p.3 p.2

  1. Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency Part of this department's spending: it also works in 3 other policy areas HK$7.5bn
  2. Labour Department HK$4.6bn
  3. Marine Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 6 other policy areas HK$1.8bn
Information Technology and Broadcasting

Departments that contribute

SourcesSummary of expenditure, p.1Summary of expenditure, p.2Summary of expenditure, p.3

  1. Government Secretariat: Commerce and Economic Development Bureau Part of this department's spending: it also works in 3 other policy areas HK$13.5bn
  2. Government Secretariat: Digital Policy Office HK$4.1bn
  3. Government Secretariat: Innovation and Technology Commission Part of this department's spending: it also works in 1 other policy area HK$2.5bn
  4. Radio Television Hong Kong HK$1.1bn
  5. Census and Statistics Department Part of this department's spending: it also works in 2 other policy areas HK$960m
  6. Government Secretariat: Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau Part of this department's spending: it also works in 1 other policy area HK$343m
  7. Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration Part of this department's spending: it also works in 1 other policy area HK$60.2m
Manpower Development

Departments that contribute

p.3 p.2

  1. Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency Part of this department's spending: it also works in 3 other policy areas HK$7.5bn
  2. Government Secretariat: Labour and Welfare Bureau Part of this department's spending: it also works in 2 other policy areas HK$1.7bn
Measures in the Budget Speech

Measures are grouped by topic here. Earmarks, injections and amounts spread over several years are different from this year's spending.

  1. Hong Kong Tourism Board

    HK$1,660 million p.632026-27 allocation

  2. Capital for the Hetao Hong Kong Park company

    HK$10 billion p.27Capital for a company; needs Legislative Council approval

  3. Start-up capital for a San Tin Technopole development company

    HK$10 billion p.28Capital for a company; needs Legislative Council approval

  4. Start-up capital for the Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park Company

    HK$10 billion p.71Capital for a company; needs Legislative Council approval

  5. Re-employment Allowance Pilot Scheme

    HK$222 million p.802026-27 provision

  6. First national manufacturing innovation centre outside the Mainland

    HK$220 million p.25Earmark

  7. Injection into the BUD Fund (branding, upgrading and domestic sales)

    HK$200 million p.47Paid into a fund, which spends it over time

  8. Northern Metropolis Urban-rural Integration Fund (pilot)

    HK$200 million p.65Funding for a pilot scheme

  9. Attracting large international exhibitions (pilot)

    HK$100 million p.48Earmark

  10. Port dues concessions and incentives for green-fuel ships

    HK$34 million p.52Government subsidy

How are shares and changes calculated?

Personal share = your tax amount × the spending line ÷ total government expenditure. Lines can overlap and should not be added together. p.12

Nominal changes for groups come from Budget Appendix B. Changes for individual lines compare this year's estimate with last year's revised estimate and are our calculation. p.12