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Marginal Value of Public Funds

The Public Expenditure Efficiency Index (EDP), or Marginal Value of Public Funds (MVPF), is an indicator used to evaluate public policies which compares the benefit derived by the target population – measured by their willingness to pay – to the net cost borne by the public purse. Formalised by Hendren and Sprung-Keyser (2020), it enables very diverse policy interventions – such as transfers, tax credits, education, healthcare and training – to be compared on a single scale. Its denominator comprises direct expenditure and fiscal externalities, i.e. the effects of behavioural responses on future public revenue and expenditure. A ratio greater than 1 indicates a policy that creates more value than it costs; when the net cost is zero, the policy is self-financing and the index tends towards infinity.

Last modified: July 23, 2026