The primary goal of the ACT Infrastructure Investment Program (the Program) is to support a strong and resilient economy that is well positioned to capitalise on growth opportunities and able to bounce back quickly in difficult times. We also want a progressive, dynamic and compassionate society that maximises the wellbeing of its citizens. The 2021-22 Budget marks the first year of the move to a five-year budget cycle for the Program. The addition of the fifth year reflects the longer time span involved in planning and delivering the large and complex projects that Canberra needs.

Rajasthan Budget 2021-22: Economic Review (Hindi)

The general budget balance of Libya grew to around 12 billion Libyan dinars (around 2.5 billion U.S. dollars) in the third quarter of 2021. In the period under review, the country's budget balance fluctuated significantly. The sharpest decline was recorded in the fourth quarter of 2020 at minus 14.5 billion Libyan dinars (minus three billion U.S. dollars).

Spending on sports and games, computers, and the internet in national expenditure on culture, entertainment and sports in Israel reached around 14.2 billion Israeli shekels (around 4 billion U.S. dollars) in 2021. Overall, the spending increased during the period under review, except for a decline in 2020. A total of 133.3 billion Israeli shekels (around 37 billion U.S. dollars) was spent during the period under review for this activity.

Spending on radio, television, cinema and photography in national expenditure on culture, entertainment and sports in Israel reached 9 billion Israeli shekels (around 2.5 billion U.S. dollars) in 2021. Overall, the spending decreased during the period under review, with a few fluctuations. A total of around 70 billion Israeli shekels (almost 20 billion U.S. dollars) was spent during the period under review for this activity.

Environmental protection in national expenditure on culture, entertainment and sports in Israel reached around 6 billion Israeli shekels (around 1.2 billion U.S. dollars) in 2021. The spending increased during the period under review. A total of 40.4 billion Israeli shekels (around 11,3 billion U.S. dollars) was spent during the period under review for this activity.

The government and national institutes' national expenditure on culture, entertainment and sports in Israel reached almost 1.5 billion Israeli shekels (around 414 million U.S. dollars) in 2021. Between 2014 and 2021, an overall slight increase in national expenditure by this sector can be observed. A total of around 10 billion Israeli shekels (around three billion U.S. dollars) was spent during the period under review by government and national institutes in these areas.

Outbound tourists from Algeria spent a total of 238 million U.S. dollars in 2021. The average annual outbound tourism expenditure decreased compared to the previous year, both of which were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the period under review, tourists' spending peaked at 762 million U.S. dollars in 2015. In comparison, the expenditure of inbound visitors in the country was significantly lower in the same period.

Fixed capital formation in national expenditure on culture, entertainment and sports in Israel reached around 3.3 billion Israeli shekels (around 934 million U.S. dollars) in 2021. Overall, the spending increased during the period under review. A total of approximately 21 billion Israeli shekels (around 5.9 billion U.S. dollars) was spent during the period under review for this activity.

A survey conducted in 2021 asked merchants across the globe about the allocation of their e-commerce fraud management spending. The results revealed that 36 percent of fraud prevention, control, and resolution expenditure went to manual order review. Additionally, 34 percent was devoted to internal tools and systems, including IT staff, while the remaining 30 percent went to third-party tools and services.

National expenditure on culture, entertainment and sports in Israel reached nearly 70.61 billion Israeli shekels (around 19.14 billion U.S. dollars) in 2021. Overall, the spending increased during the period under review. A possible explanation for the sudden decline in 2020 might be the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which led Israel to impose restrictions on cultural institutions and sports events. These figures represent expenditure in all national sectors (business, non-profit, local authorities as well as government & national institutions).

Spending on music and performing arts in national expenditure on culture, entertainment and sports in Israel reached 13 billion Israeli shekels (3.6 billion U.S. dollars) in 2021. Overall, the spending increased during the period under review, except for a decline in 2020. A possible explanation for that decline might be the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which led Israel to impose restrictions on cultural institutions and sports events. A total of around 101.2 billion Israeli shekels (around 28.3 billion U.S. dollars) was spent during the period under review for this activity.

In 2024, the United Kingdom's defence spending as a share of Gross Domestic Product is estimated to be 2.3 percent. Between 1980 and 2024, the UK's defence spending was at its highest in 1984 when 5.5 percent of the UK's GDP was spent on the military. After 1984, defence spending declined gradually, and then at a much faster pace after the end of the Cold War in 1991. It is estimated that defence spending as a share of GDP fell to its lowest level in 2015 when it was two percent. Armed forces fall to record lows in 2024 Since the early 1950s, there has been a consistent reduction in the size of the UK's armed forces. The importance of Britain maintaining a large standing army declined following the collapse of the British Empire by the late 1970s, and the end of the Cold War around a decade later. At the start of the 1990s, there were approximately 300,000 personnel in the armed forces, with this falling to 200,000 by 2005. Following a further strategic review of the army's capabilities in 2010, additional cuts to personnel were implemented, with cuts of approximately 50,000 throughout the 2010s. As of 2024, there were 75,320 personnel in the Army, 30,800 in the Royal Air Force, and 32,000 in the Royal Navy and Marines, a total of 138,120 active personnel. The UK and NATO The UK is one of the 12 founding members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a military alliance formed in 1949. NATO's initial purpose was to defend Western Europe against the Soviet Union, with its role evolving to include peacekeeping and counter-terrorism after the end of the Cold War. As of 2024, the alliance includes 32 nations, with just two of these (Canada and the United States) outside of Europe. The United States is by far the largest military power in the alliance, dominating in terms of manpower, equipment, and military spending. A return of Donald Trump to the White House in 2025, a well-known skeptic of NATO, could therefore prove difficult for the alliance should he distance the U.S. from Europe's security challenges.

The number of overseas tourist visits to London, United Kingdom continued to grow in 2023, following a sharp drop in 2021, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Despite the significant annual increase, inbound arrivals in the UK's capital remained below pre-pandemic levels, reaching 20.28 million in 2023. That year, inbound tourist visits to the UK totaled nearly 40 million. London leading the way in Europe London’s contribution to inbound tourism in the United Kingdom is significant, with the UK’s capital accounting for over 50 percent of international tourist arrivals in the country in 2023. This was more than other leading European destinations, such as Amsterdam, Paris, and Berlin. Those visiting the UK capital also made a significant contribution to the local economy, with expenditure of international visitors in London peaking in 2023, with inbound tourists spending over 16 billion British pounds that year. However, this was not reflected in business travel spending in the city, which was nearly half a billion British pounds in 2023 than in 2019. London’s visitor attractions As the largest city in the UK, London is home to some of the country's most iconic visitor attractions. These range from government-sponsored museums, such as the British Museum, to the Tower of London and the ZSL London Zoo. In 2023, the British Museum was the most visited tourist attraction in London. Overall, most sites have struggled to match the visitation rates recorded before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, however. For instance, attendance at the British Museum – the most visited free attraction in London in 2023 – declined by around seven percent from 2019.