AUTHOR=Li Sheng-Kun , Liang Xueping 

TITLE=Determinants of the Fiscal Support of Governments in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2020

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2020.637557

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2020.637557

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Fiscal support measures have different implications for public finances in the short term and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. For this purpose, this paper examines the determinants of governments' fiscal support in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The empirical analysis is based on the cross-sectional data estimations from 129 developed- and developing countries. The estimation results indicate that a higher level of uncertainty related to the COVID-19 (measured by the World Pandemic Uncertainty Indices) is positively related to the fiscal support. Besides, countries with a higher total population and population over 65-years and older provide higher fiscal support. These results are valid to consider the developed countries separately. Policy implications for public finances during the COVID-19 pandemic are also discussed.