Gers figures: Scottish public spending deficit falls as oil revenues rise

Scotland's public spending deficit fell to £19.1bn last year, largely due to record oil and gas revenues.

The annual Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (Gers) report looks at taxes raised in Scotland and public spending for and on behalf of Scotland.

It estimated that the gap was lower than the previous year's £23.7bn but is still higher than before the pandemic.

The deficit represents 9.0% of Scotland's GDP - higher than the 5.2% for the UK as a whole.

The Gers report allocated Scotland a "geographical share" of North Sea revenue for 2022-23.

It was £9.4bn, following the introduction of the windfall tax - up from £2.4bn the previous year.

The report said that if North Sea revenue was not included the deficit would have been £28.5bn.

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