Effective personal money management is increasingly challenged by expense leakage, which refers to the gradual and often unnoticed loss of money through unused subscriptions, repeated small transactions, and irregular spending behavior. Most existing budgeting tools focus on summarizing expenses after they occur and provide limited support for identifying hidden or inefficient spending patterns. The primary aim of this project is to assist individuals in managing their finances more effectively by detecting and reducing unnecessary expenses. This project presents a Personal Expense Leakage Detection and Budget Optimization system developed using Python and machine learning techniques, employing a dual-layer unsupervised learning framework in which the Isolation Forest algorithm is used to identify abnormal transactions such as unexpected charges and billing inconsistencies, while K-Means clustering groups frequent low-value transactions that may be overlooked individually but have a significant cumulative impact. The system further incorporates features such as identification of unused recurring subscriptions, prediction of end-of-month balance based on current spending trends, analysis of behavioral spending patterns to reduce impulsive purchases, and visualization of the long-term financial impact of small recurring expenses. Experimental evaluation using synthetic transaction data demonstrates that the proposed system is more effective than traditional rule-based budgeting methods in detecting hidden spending patterns, indicating that the integration of machine learning and behavioral analysis into personal finance tools can significantly improve money management, reduce financial waste, and support longterm financial stability.

Determining the appropriate size of government remains central for fiscal sustainability, social protection, and macroeconomic stability. Wagner’s law, formulated in the 19th century, posits that government expenditures rise with income, yet contemporary evidence is mixed. This paper revisits the relationship between economic growth and government spending in Europe over the period 1990–2024, with particular attention to the Balkans. Using an instrumental variable strategy based on trade-weighted partner growth, we find no evidence that rising income systematically expands government expenditure. On the contrary, faster growth is associated with modest declines in expenditure, particularly for current spending, while capital outlays remain largely unaffected. These patterns are stronger in high-debt countries, suggesting that fiscal rules and debt constraints increasingly shape spending decisions. The Balkan economies largely follow these trends, though heterogeneity reflects transition dynamics and EU integration. Our findings imply that Wagner’s law no longer describes spending behavior in modern European economies. Policymakers should focus less on income-driven expenditure growth and more on strengthening fiscal frameworks, improving spending efficiency, and prioritizing high-return investments in infrastructure and human capital. These measures can enhance fiscal resilience while supporting public service provision and long-term development goals.

This article aims to examine the budgetary behavior during the electoral cycle in local government in Albania. Using panel data for the period 2017-2023, the paper sheds light on the existence of the political budgetary cycle in the pre-election, election, and post-election years, by analyzing capital and current expenditures, as well as local revenues from local taxes. It also extends the analysis to include other important variables that affect budgetary behavior, such as tenure, political connection, and gender. Furthermore, using interaction terms, it examines the effect of each variable on current expenditures. The analysis results in an opportunistic tendency to increase expenditures and decrease tax revenues during the pre-election and election years, with their growth rate being much higher in the election year. However, there is no reduction in spending or increase in taxes during the post-election year which can be explained as a result of the lack of electoral competition, the low level of financial autonomy, and the fact that in 2020, the only post-election year considered in the analysis, the increase in spending, especially current spending, is related to the mitigation of the negative impact of the covid-19 pandemic. We also find that female mayors have opportunistic behavior for current spending, while political connection affects both current and capital spending. The findings of this paper are important for both policymakers and Albanian citizens, given that the presence of the political budget cycle in the pre-election and post-election years demonstrates the misuse of public funds for electoral purposes, thus undermining accountability and good governance at the local level. In order to mitigate the negative effects of the political budget cycle on the provision of public services, it is necessary to undertake reforms to increase accountability, as well as increase citizen engagement in monitoring local spending to hold local officials accountable.

This paper examines fiscal policy as a key instrument for economic growth under macroeconomic instability and fiscal constraints. The research is justified by persistent budget deficits, rising public debt, reliance on external financing, and the need to balance short-term stabilization with long-term development, particularly during post-war recovery. The study reviews theoretical approaches to fiscal policy, emphasizing differing views on taxation and public expenditure. Defined as an integrated system of budgetary and tax instruments, fiscal policy enables the state to influence economic activity and structural transformation. The research aims to determine fiscal policy's role in sustainable economic growth and identify directions for improving its components, using theoretical generalization, structural analysis, and institutional approaches. The core analysis focuses on public expenditure structures, the balance between current and capital spending, and prioritizing productive expenditures that stimulate investment, human capital formation, and technological modernization. Furthermore, analyzing tax revenues confirms taxation's dominant role in forming the budgetary base, highlighting the need for a balanced tax system combining fiscal sufficiency with investment attractiveness. Results demonstrate that fiscal policy effectiveness depends on instrument coherence, fiscal rule stability, budget planning quality, and tax administration efficiency. Ultimately, the findings emphasize the necessity of transforming fiscal policy from short-term budget balancing into a strategic tool for sustainable, long-term economic growth.

Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) requires not only financial resources but also strong and capable states that can mobilise, allocate and effectively manage those resources. Although fiscal capacity is widely acknowledged as a key determinant of health systems financing, state capacity is a broader, multidimensional construct that encompasses the administrative, legal and coercive functions of the state. This study investigates how multiple dimensions of state capacity-bureaucratic quality, corruption, rule of law, military involvement in politics, government effectiveness, property rights and state fragility-are associated with key measures of health financing. We analyse an unbalanced global panel of 141 countries, including 49 low- and middle-income countries, over the period 2000-2020. Using data from established cross-country institutional and health financing sources, we estimate fixed-effects and random-effects panel regression models to assess the relationship between state capacity and the two health financing metrics: government health expenditure per capita and out-of-pocket health spending as a share of current health expenditure, used here as a proxy for financial protection. Our findings indicate that stronger state capacity is consistently associated with higher public health investment and reduced out-of-pocket spending by households. A 1 SD increase in bureaucratic quality is associated with a 2.6 percentage-point lower share of OOP health expenditure in current health spending. Similarly, 1 SD improvements in government effectiveness and property rights are associated with 1.6 and 2.8 percentage-point lower OOP shares, respectively. A 1 SD increase in rule of law, government effectiveness or property rights is associated with a 13%-31% higher level of government health expenditure (GHE) per capita, whereas a 1 SD increase in state fragility is associated with a 32% lower GHE per capita. The aggregate state capacity index is positively associated with GHE per capita, with a 1 SD increase corresponding to a 17.5% higher level of public health spending. The results underscore the critical role of state institutions in achieving sustainable and equitable health financing and highlight the importance of governance reforms in accelerating progress toward UHC across diverse national contexts.

ABSTRACT Russia’s perceived expansionist aims and the United States' shift towards an “America First” policy have driven NATO member states to boost defence spending significantly. At the recent NATO summit in The Hague, members agreed to raise defence expenditures to 5% of GDP, allocating 3.5% to military capabilities and 1.5% to infrastructure and cybersecurity. This paper explores the implications of this target, focusing on which NATO countries are best positioned to meet it and which may struggle. It compares current defence spending with the new goals, assessing the fiscal feasibility of these increases through taxation or public debt. The analysis also considers how strong domestic defence industries may benefit certain states economically. The study evaluates which member states are likely to gain from increased military spending and which may fall short, highlighting the uneven capacity among NATO members to adapt to this ambitious defence agenda.

This analysis examines trends in health spending in Tajikistan from 2000 to 2022 and situates them within the country's key health financing reforms, with the aim of informing progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and identifying persistent gaps. By applying data from the WHO Global Health Expenditure Database (GHED), which is structured according to the System of Health Accounts (SHA 2011), and contextualizing results with national policy documents and relevant literature, the paper assesses both expenditure patterns and reform dynamics. While government health spending has increased in absolute terms, it remains modest as a share of GDP and general government expenditure. Out of pocket payments have declined slightly as a share of current health spending, yet they still account for nearly two-thirds, posing barriers to equitable access and financial protection. Recent reform initiatives, such as pooling and strategic purchasing pilots, show potential to improve equity and efficiency; however, their long-term impact will depend on sustained implementation and systematic tracking of expenditures. The findings underscore the importance of tracking expenditure in a systematic way to guide health reform. Institutionalizing the routine production of health accounts using SHA 2011 would improve transparency, strengthen allocative efficiency, and support more strategic resource allocation and informed policy dialogue. Ultimately, tracking health spending is not just a technical exercise, but a strategic tool to align financing with policy priorities and advance UHC.

This paper investigates the moderating role of corruption on the relationship between government spending and per capita income in the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa).The panel-corrected standard error model is used to examine the interactive links between government spending, corruption, and economic growth using panel data from the World Bank spanning the years 2000 to 2022.The results show that capital and current government spending positively impact economic growth, but these benefits are significantly offset by corruption.The study emphasizes the necessity of balanced anti-corruption measures to ensure that efforts to curb corruption do not inadvertently hinder the beneficial impacts of government spending on economic growth.The results provide valuable insights for policymakers in emerging economies, highlighting the importance of fostering good governance and effective fiscal policies to promote sustainable development.

This article is devoted to the analysis of the militarization of the economies of the Baltic countries, after their accession to NATO in 2004. The dynamics of state military spending is stud ied, both in absolute and relative terms. For the purposes of the study, military spending is divided into capital and current spending. The author justifies the position that the strategic importance of the Baltic region for the North Atlantic Alliance in the context of its preparation for a possible war with Russia has a significant impact on the structure, dynamics and level of military spending of the states located here. The process of militarization in the work is structured in two stages, reflecting key changes in the military-political confrontation between Russia and the West. These changes are largely due to the events in Ukraine in 2014. At the first stage (until 2014), there was an increase in military spending only in Estonia, while their share in GDP decreased in all three republics. Dur ing this period, the main burden of financing the rearmament and modernization of the military in frastructure of the region fell on NATO, which allowed the Baltic countries to optimize their own budgets. At the second stage (from 2014 to the present), a sharp increase in the volume and level of military spending was recorded, while the budgets of the Baltic states became the main source of funding for preparations for possible military operations. The work also analyzed the impact of state military spending on the budget deficit of the Baltic countries. A forecast is presented on how the planned increase in the level of military spending for the period 2026–2030 to 5–6% of GDP will affect the socio-economic situation in the region.

Regulation of drug availability is one of the most important areas of state policy in the pharmaceutical market. The use of various methods of price regulation allows achieving the desired socio-economic results, but the complexity of the processes taking place in the pharmaceutical market and in the state necessitates the constant revision of existing approaches and measures. The aim: to conduct an analysis of macroeconomic indicators characterizing the state of development of healthcare systems in countries that are reference for the domestic pharmaceutical market. Materials and methods. General theoretical (historical, formal, graphical, hypothetical-deductive, etc.) and applied (organizational-economic, mathematical-statistical, etc.) research methods were used. The subject of the research was the World Bank health indicators, which are integrated with WHO data, and data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development for reference countries (Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria) and in Ukraine. Results. It was found that for the vast majority of indicators characterizing the state of health care financing, domestic indicators significantly differed from the average values for the group of reference countries. For indicators of domestic health care expenditures (four indicators), domestic data had critically low values (52.12% –% in current healthcare spending, expenditures per capita, including at purchasing power parity of the population – $ 192.81 and $ 570.60, respectively). Only for the indicator of domestic public health care expenditures as a% of general government expenditures, Ukrainian indicators (10.56%) were within the fluctuation range of the corresponding data for the group of reference countries. A comparative analysis of current healthcare expenditures (3 indicators) showed that out of the three indicators, the values of two in Ukraine were close to the minimum values in the group of reference countries. These are current healthcare expenditures per capita, including at purchasing power parity. In Ukraine, the values of these indicators were $369.90 and $1095.06, which were 3.72 and 2.49 times lower than the average values for the group of reference countries. According to the indicators characterizing the participation of private capital and citizens in healthcare expenditures (5 indicators), it was established that per capita private expenditures in Ukraine were $177.10, which was 1.88 times lower than the average for the group of reference countries ($332.58). In terms of private and out-of-pocket expenditures as a% of current healthcare expenditures, domestic data had the highest values compared to reference countries. Thus, private and out-of-pocket expenditures in Ukraine were 1.76 and 1.88 times higher than the average values for reference countries (27.07% and 24.04%, respectively). Domestic out-of-pocket expenditures calculated per capita ($167.54) and at purchasing power parity ($ 495.88) were 44,49% and 17,51% lower than the corresponding average values for the group of reference countries ($301.82 and $ 601.10, respectively). It was found that within the group of reference countries, the drug consumption index varied. This index ranged from $523.0 (Poland) to $883.0 (Bulgaria). The average consumption value in Ukraine for 2021-2023 was ($112.33), which was 5.79 times less than the corresponding data for the group of reference countries. In addition, in the group of reference countries, there are fundamental differences in the structure of population spending on medicines by funding sources (state, private revenues, and health insurance funds). Conclusions. Significant differences in macroeconomic indicators characterizing the state of healthcare financing in the reference countries and in Ukraine have been identified. This necessitates further research on the topic and a review of the group of reference countries used in the domestic pharmaceutical market to regulate the socio-economic accessibility of medicines for the population

ABSTRACT Nordic countries, despite leading in global environmental performance, face unresolved sustainability challenges, revealing a paradox where strong democratic institutions (SDG 16) and education systems (SDG 4) coexist with ongoing ecological pressures. This study examines how democracy and education jointly influence environmental sustainability across Nordic nations (2000–2023) using the Method of Moments Quantile Regression. Results show that environmental policy stringency enhances sustainability, while freedom of expression and education spending unexpectedly hinder it. Dumitrescu‐Hurlin causality tests confirm bidirectional relationships between environmental sustainability and factors such as environmental policy, freedom of expression, education spending, and population. We recommend three SDG‐aligned policies: (1) integrating circular economy principles into education curricula (SDG 4); (2) restructuring current education spending to better align with sustainability goals; and (3) strengthening participatory environmental governance (SDG 16).

With the rapid popularity of short video platforms, teenagers’ consumption habits have been increasingly shaped by them. This paper takes short video platforms and teenagers’ consumption behaviors as its main focus. Drawing on existing literature and publicly available data, it systematically examines how short videos influence teenagers through algorithmic recommendation, content dissemination, and social interaction. The findings suggest that current teenage spending is characterized by “small but frequent purchases, concentrated product categories, convenient payment, and impulsive behavior.” Further analysis shows that factors such as algorithm-driven consumption concepts, peer conformity, and commercial modeling have made short video platforms a major force influencing teenage consumption. Beyond overspending, other risks include false advertising, hidden promotions, and privacy issues. Based on these findings, this paper proposes improving platform governance, strengthening legal regulations, and enhancing family and school education to promote rational consumption among teenagers. The rise of short video platforms has also led to new consumption patterns, bringing both opportunities and challenges to teenagers’ healthy development. Theoretically and practically, this study deepens our understanding of the relationship between media and consumption, and offers references for governments, platforms, and educational institutions.

Good health is both an intrinsic human right and a catalyst for economic development. Increased Public health expenditure is essential to reduce catastrophic out-of-pocket expenses (OOPE), improve poor health outcomes, build critical infrastructure, and achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC). India's current public health spending, while increasing, remains low compared to global averages and national targets, creating significant gaps in quality and access. This paper examines public healthcare expenditure of India and their implications for economic growth. The study also provides a comprehensive overview of trends in public health expenditure relative to population and Gross Domestic Product (GDP), central state share in public health expenditure, and key health financing indicators. The study is based on secondary data of public expenditure for the year 2010 to 2022 collected from various government publications like Economic survey, National Health Accounts, NITI Aaayog reports, Census data, World Bank database, ministry of health and family welfare etc. Patterns and trends in time series data were analyzed using line graphs. Macroeconomic links with Gross Domestic Product (GDP), per capita public expenditure, and related variables were examined using Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) and correlation analysis. The study found a dramatic increase in public health expenditure and per capita public expenditure on health over the period, as well as a strong positive correlation between public health expenditure and GDP, population, and per capita public expenditure. Although India's public health spending is rising, it remains low compared to global averages and national targets, resulting in significant gaps in quality and access. The study emphasizes the need for collaborative government efforts to increase public healthcare spending, given the low share of government expenditure relative to GDP, the high rate of out-of-pocket expenses, inadequate infrastructure such as doctor shortages, and disparities in access between urban and rural areas.

This paper estimates the effect of racino legalization with earmarked revenues for K-12 education on school district finances. Using district-level data from 1999 to 2019 and a staggered difference-in-differences design, we find that legalization increases total per-pupil revenue by about 6.5%, driven by gains in state aid and local revenue, with no change in federal funding. Expenditure increases are concentrated in capital outlays, which rise nearly 19%, while current spending grows modestly. Event-study estimates show no pre-treatment trends and persistent post-treatment gains. The results are robust to alternative control groups, additional controls, and exclusion of large districts, suggesting that racino earmarks provide a sustained boost to district resources, particularly for long-term investments. JEL-Codes: H71, H75, I22, L83

Aim Mental health is increasingly recognised as a key component of national development and health equity, yet investment remains insufficient. This paper presents the South African Mental Health Investment Case, which aims to inform policy and financing decisions, particularly within the National Health Insurance framework, by estimating the costs, implementation requirements, and potential returns of scaling-up mental health services. Method The Mental Health Investment Case was developed in two phases. Phase 1 involved a national costing analysis to estimate current spending and identify inefficiencies and gaps. Phase 2 employed a structured Delphi process and stakeholder consultations to prioritise a package of clinical and programmatic interventions, which were then costed using a bottom-up modelling approach. Projected returns on investment were calculated based on productivity gains and avoided illness and mortality. Results Modelling indicates that scaling up cost-effective interventions, particularly for common mental disorders, can significantly increase coverage, yield high returns, and reduce treatment costs over time. Stakeholders highlighted implementation barriers, including fragmented governance, lack of dedicated financing, and weak intersectoral collaboration. Recommendations include dedicated provincial mental health directorates, formalised multi-sectoral co-ordination platforms, strengthened monitoring and evaluation systems, and a phased implementation plan aligned with fiscal realities. Conclusion The Mental Health Investment Case provides an evidence-informed roadmap for strengthening mental health systems in South Africa. It expands the investment case by incorporating efficiency, equity and rights-based arguments. The findings support the development of tailored implementation guidelines, prioritised benefit entitlements under NHI, and dedicated budgeting mechanisms such as conditional grants. Sustained advocacy, inter-departmental collaboration, and robust data systems will be essential to ensure delivery of equitable and effective mental health care.

Despite increasing demand for palliative and end-of-life care, the funding for research in this area has historically been low. Previous UK analyses in 2016 found that less than 0.3% of the funding for cancer research was directed towards palliative care research; current expenditure on palliative and end-of-life care research is unknown. We therefore sought to determine current UK expenditure on palliative and end-of-life care research. Secondary analysis of publicly available research funding data-UK Health Research Analysis 2022, from the UK Clinical Research Classification System Health Research Classification System. This dataset details UK health research funding from all public sectors (including the governments of the four nations of the UK), charities, societies and professional bodies for the year 2022. Out of 18 023 research funding awards in total in 2022, we identified 136 relating to palliative and end-of-life care research. The total funding for palliative and end-of-life care research was £10.9 million, representing just 0.26% of the total £4.2 billion awarded. Palliative and end-of-life care research continues to be one of the lowest-funded areas of healthcare research in the UK. More investment into palliative and end-of-life care research is urgently needed to advance evidence to meet the rising demand for palliative care.

India is a major global agricultural player with a goal to produce over 354 million tonnes of food grains by 2025-26. Despite agriculture contributing about 18% to GDP and employing half the population, these figures are declining due to sector shifts. Since 1950, ICAR has revolutionized Indian agriculture through research, leading to significant increases in food, fisheries, and dairy production. The government has prioritized investment in research and extension, but current spending remains limited. Strengthening frontline institutions like KVKs and adopting digital tools are crucial for sustainable growth. To realize the vision of Vikasit Bharat @ 2047, it is vital to revisit the roles and mandates of extension institutions, implement policy reforms, enhance financial and human resources, and strengthen research-extension-farmer-market linkages. Promoting public-private-NGO partnerships will be essential for driving Innovation, Inclusivity, and Impact (3Is) within the agricultural system, ensuring resilient and inclusive growth for the future.

Purpose This study explores the relationship between firms' corporate social responsibility (CSR) expenditure towards poverty alleviation and the implied cost of equity for Indian firms, aiming to contribute valuable insights to the discourse on CSR’s financial implications for inclusion. Design/methodology/approach We construct a panel of 484 firms contributing to poverty alleviation under Section 135, Schedule VII(1) of the Companies Act, 2013, for the period 2014–2020. The study examines the link between CSR spending on poverty reduction and implied cost of equity (COE), where COE is computed using the Ohlson and Juettner-Nauroth (OJ) model. The analysis employs a two-step system GMM, supplemented by pooled OLS, random effects and generalized least squares (GLS) models. A sectoral sub-sample analysis is also conducted to compare results across manufacturing and service firms. Findings Our findings reveal a positive relationship between CSR towards poverty alleviation and implied COE, indicating that mandated spending dampens the corporate benefits for the firms, thus reducing investor optimism and increasing the cost of equity. These results remain robust across alternate model specifications, including pooled OLS, random effects, and GLS estimations. Further, different results are observed for the service industry, where current year spending on CSR towards poverty alleviation reduces the cost of equity for these firms. Practical implications Socially responsible investors typically consider compliance-based CSR a liability. Therefore, companies should align their CSR strategies with their core business practices to convey a genuine signal to investors and capitalize on the COE benefits that voluntary CSR towards poverty reduction can provide in a regulated environment. Social implications Firms are encouraged to integrate CSR strategies with their core business practices, fostering genuine engagement rather than mere compliance. This alignment will enhance the firm’s reputation while helping India achieve Sustainable Development Goal 1 (SDG 1) of poverty alleviation. If implemented with correct intentions, it will help the living standards of those living below the poverty line in India. Originality/value To the best of our knowledge, there is a dearth of studies focussing on CSR activities targeted towards specific goals. Most previous studies have explored CSR as a whole. Also, a dearth of research exists on mandated CSR and its impact on the implied cost of equity.

ABSTRACT Military expenditures represent an integral part of government fiscal policy and significantly impact government revenues, other expenditures, the deficit and public debt. This paper analyses the military expenditures of 21 EU-NATO Member States between 1995 and 2023, treating them as an endogenous fiscal variable that influences GDP, government revenues, other expenditures, government bond risk premiums, and debt. The estimated SVAR model indicates that, initially, increases in military expenditures are primarily financed by debt, but four years after the shock, approximately 96% of the expenditures are covered by higher tax revenues and cuts in other expenditures. The calculated fiscal multiplier for military expenditures is 0.68 at the point of impact and 0.79 at its maximum, whereas the fiscal multipliers for other government expenditures are significantly higher at 1.34 for both impact and maximum. Investment in military equipment and infrastructure has a significantly higher impact on GDP than current spending on personnel and operations and maintenance (O&M). Model simulations indicate that the projected growth in military spending resulting from the commitment made at the 2025 Hague NATO Summit to spend 3.5/5.0% of GDP will require substantial fiscal adjustment in the countries under study.

PurposeGeneral Ophthalmic Services in Scotland (GOS(S)3) vouchers provide children with National Health Service (NHS)‐funded optical correction. This study investigated the financial impact of myopia by reporting current spending on GOS(S)3 vouchers and indicative prevalence of childhood myopia in Scotland.MethodsData on the number and monetary value of GOS(S)3 vouchers issued for children aged 6–15 years in 2021/22 were obtained from Public Health Scotland. Data were categorised by age, refractive error and voucher value. Refractive error was defined as emmetropia (spherical equivalent refraction (SER) > −0.50D and < +2.00D), hyperopia (SER ≥ + 2.00D) and myopia (SER ≤ −0.50D). Total spending on GOS(S)3 vouchers and spending on additional GOS(S)3 voucher claims (due to spectacle prescription changes within 1 year) were reported. The proportions of additional GOS(S)3 vouchers for myopia and non‐myopic refractive errors (hyperopia and emmetropia combined) were compared with a two‐proportion z‐test. Indicative prevalence was estimated by dividing the number of GOS(S)3 vouchers (excluding additional vouchers) by the number of children in the population, using data from the National Records of Scotland.ResultsTotal annual spending on GOS(S)3 vouchers for the correction of emmetropia, hyperopia and myopia was £1.44 million, £1.43 million and £1.91 million, respectively. A greater proportion of GOS(S)3 vouchers was attributed to additional claims for myopia (6.31%) compared to non‐myopic refractive errors (4.10%) (p < 0.001). The prevalence of myopia as indicated by voucher claims ranged from 2.21% in children aged 6–7 years to 11.95% in 15 year olds. The proportion of children aged 6–15 years requiring spectacles for high myopia (spherical component < −6.00D) was approximately 0.26%, accounting for 3.62% of myopic children.ConclusionTotal spending on GOS(S)3 vouchers for the correction of myopia is lower than the combined spending on GOS(S)3 vouchers for emmetropia and hyperopia. However, children with myopia received more additional GOS(S)3 vouchers than other refractive groups, suggesting these children experienced more short‐term changes to their spectacle prescription.