This publication examines the 2024 Budget, which Parliament approved in December 2023. The aim is to provide a concise description of the central themes of the 2024 Budget. The Budget is based on an independent economic forecast produced by the Economics Department at the Ministry of Finance in autumn 2023. The economic outlook based on the December forecast is discussed in Chapter 2.

Prime Minister Orpo’s Government commits to permanently strengthening general government finances during the parliamentary term through a set of actions that will strengthen general government finances by a net amount of EUR 6 billion at the level of 2027. General government expenditure will be adjusted by decisions of the Government by a net amount of approximately EUR 4 billion. In addition, the Government has outlined structural policy measures aimed at strengthening general government finances by approximately EUR 2 billion at the level of 2027. The expenditure-related policies outlined in the Government Programme will generate net savings of approximately EUR 0.7 billion in central government on-budget activities in 2024.

The appropriations in the 2024 Budget amount to EUR 87.9 billion. The central government on-budget deficit is projected to amount to approximately EUR 11.4 billion. Compared to the actual 2023 Budget, the expenditure will increase by EUR 6.5 billion. The most significant factors contributing to the increase in appropriations include legislative and agreement-based index adjustments in 2024, interest expenditure and changes in the central government funding of the wellbeing services counties.