Open government spending data — interconnected and freely accessible
Public spending begins with the payers — the government bodies and agencies responsible for disbursing taxpayer money across a range of programs and obligations. On this page, users can browse those entities organized by country and state-level jurisdiction, making it easier to understand who is writing the checks and for what purposes. From national ministries to regional authorities, each payer entity is cataloged and connected to the underlying expenditure records in the Publicspending.net dataset, giving researchers, journalists, and engaged citizens a clear entry point into the flow of public funds.
The payers directory spans seven jurisdictions, offering a comparative view of how different governments structure their spending operations. Whether examining a federal agency in the United States, a ministry in the United Kingdom, or a state-level department in Australia, the pattern of disbursement reveals priorities, policy directions, and administrative choices. By standardizing payer names and linking them to payment records, the platform enables meaningful cross-jurisdictional analysis — allowing users to see how similar categories of spending are handled differently across borders and levels of government.
Behind every payment record in the dataset stands a payer with a defined mandate and budget authority. Understanding this relationship is essential for meaningful oversight. When a user selects a specific payer, they gain access to the detailed transactions that entity has initiated, including the categories of spending, the recipients of funds, and the timing of disbursements. This granular view transforms abstract budget figures into traceable, accountable actions, supporting the website's core mission of helping people follow the trillions in public money moving through government systems worldwide.
The engineering team behind Publicspending.net has developed algorithms to unify company and entity names across disparate records, ensuring that payers are consistently identified even when they appear under different labels in source documents. This normalization work is critical for reliable analysis, as government agencies often change names, merge with other bodies, or use varying abbreviations in official records. By referring to parallel classification systems such as CPV and NAICS codes, the platform enriches expenditure records and helps users connect payer activity to broader economic and procurement frameworks.
Whether you are a data analyst, a policy researcher, or simply a curious citizen wanting to understand how public money flows from government coffers to recipients, the payers section provides the starting point. Each listing links directly to the payment records held within the dataset, allowing for both broad overviews and deep dives into specific transactions. The interface is designed for practical exploration, with clear organization by jurisdiction and consistent presentation of payer information, so that the path from a government entity to its spending activity is straightforward and transparent.
Payers by Jurisdiction
The Publicspending.net dataset tracks payers — the government entities making payments — across seven jurisdictions. Data covers historical periods from 1993 to 2013, with payer records interlinked to payment amounts, payees, and spending categories.
United States
Federal-level public spending payers for the period 2009–2012. Data drawn from US government open-data sources.
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Australia
Australian government payers covering February 2006 through November 2012.
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United Kingdom
UK public spending payers from April 2010 to December 2012.
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Greece
Greek government payers sourced from the Diavgeia transparency program (Law 3861/2010), covering October 2010 to November 2012.
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State of Massachusetts
Massachusetts state-level payers for the period 2010–2012.
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City of Chicago
City of Chicago payers spanning January 1993 through February 2013 — the longest-running jurisdiction in the dataset.
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State of Alaska
Alaska state-level payers from July 2007 to March 2013.
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