Spatial concentration of local government expenditure in the Czech Republic

The aim of this paper is to analyze the spatial concentration of local government expenditure in the Czech Republic. Expenditure of the regions, municipalities, and voluntary municipal associations in 2003 and 2015 is analyzed using descriptive statistic, cartographic visualization, and Herfindahl-Hirschman index. According to the results, the differences in total local government expenditure per capita among the 14 regions decreased and in no functional area do the current or capital expenditure cluster in a small number of locations. On the other hand, existing differences in the expenditure structure provide arguments in favor of decentralized public investment.