This bar graph contrasts the percentage of public spending on transportation in four nations—Portugal, Italy, the UK, and the USA—between 1990 and 2005.
Overall, it’s clear that European governments invested more in roads and transportation than the US and UK governments. It is also demonstrated that during the period, the UK spent the least amount of money on transportation and roads.
Portugal’s government spent the most on roads and transportation in 1990—well over 27% of total government spending—but this percentage moderately declined to 25% in 2000 and about 20% in 2005. In contrast, the USA followed Portugal’s opposite pattern. The US government spent approximately 12% of the country’s gross in 1990. After a slight decline in 1995, the percentage rose and peaked at 15% in 2005.
On the other hand, Italy spent more than 20% of its GDP in 1990; this amount fluctuated and finally dropped to 29% in 2005. In 1990, the UK’s government expenditure on traffic was just 10%; in 1995, this figure rose to 9%. The percentage then reached a peak of 13% in 2000 and then hit its lowest point at 7% in 2005.