Would You Pay More Tax For Better Public Services?

It's commonplace for people to complain about the quality of public services in their country, from the health service and education to the weekly bin collections, but how many of us would actually be prepared to put our money where our mouth is? Of course, the issues surrounding the services are often complex and not necessarily related to a lack of funds, but a new survey across 21 OECD countries has revealed the share of citizens that would be willing to pay an extra 2 percent in tax to better fund certain services.

The results were mixed depending on the service, with healthcare and pensions the areas in which respondents were most likely to feel benevolent. Nevertheless, the majority in all cases said they would not be willing to fork out more for better provision and access to these services. In no case was this more true than for child-oriented services - child-related leave and child care services were only selected by 12 and 15 percent of respondents, respectively.