# **Expenses**
**Expenses** are **cash payments** for a government's **operational activities** in providing **goods and services**.
These expenses include:
- **employee compensation (such as wages and salaries)**
- **interest**
- **subsidies**
- **grants**
- **social benefits**
- **other expenses** such as **rent** and **dividends**
The chart displays **expense rates** as a **percentage of GDP** in the **United Arab Emirates (UAE)** from **2011 to 2021**.
Over this period, the UAE has experienced **fluctuations** in these rates, reflecting changes in **government spending** in response to various **economic and social factors**.