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ACCURACY AND BIAS ANALYSIS OF BUDGET FORECASTS IN TURKISH METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITIES: FIFTEEN METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITIES AND THE PERIOD 2011-2022

Year 2025, Volume: 26 Issue: 3, 70 - 95, 28.09.2025
https://doi.org/10.53443/anadoluibfd.1584977

Abstract

Accurate, complete, and unbiased forecasts of municipal revenues and expenditures support effective resource management, while inaccurate and biased forecasts lead to resource waste, economic instability, fiscal imbalance, loss of trust, and disruptions in public services. This study analyzes the accuracy and bias of budget forecasts in Türkiye’s metropolitan municipalities, focusing on fifteen major municipalities (İstanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Kocaeli, Bursa, Antalya, Konya, Adana, Tekirdağ, Gaziantep, Kayseri, Şanlıurfa, Samsun, Ordu, Erzurum). Revenue and expenditure errors were calculated and evaluated. The accuracy of the forecasts was analyzed using Theil’s Inequality Coefficient, while the presence of bias was examined with the Holden-Peel test. Findings indicate that forecasts in metropolitan municipalities contain significant errors, with certain systematic biases identified in some municipalities. Additionally, the accuracy of metropolitan municipalities' budgets was found to be lower than that of the central government budget.

References

  • Aslan, M., & Bilge, S. (2009). Türkiye'de 1950–2006 döneminde bütçe gelir gider yönetimi üzerine ampirik bir çalışma: tek parti ve koalisyon hükümetlerinin karşılaştırılması. Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 14(3), 265-288.
  • Bağdigen, M. (2002). How accurate is revenue forecasting in Turkey? An empirical analysis. Yapı Kredi Economic Review, 13(2), 29-37.
  • Bağdigen, M. (2005). An empirical analysis of accurate budget forecasting in Turkey. Doğuş Üniversitesi Dergisi, 6(2), 190-201.
  • Benito, B., Guillamon, M.-D., & Bastida, F. (2015). Budget forecast deviations in municipal governments: determinants and implications. Australian Accounting Review, 25(1), 45-70. https://doi.org/10.1111/auar.12071
  • Bhattacharya, B. B., & Kumari, A. (1988). Budget forecasts of central government revenue and expenditure: A test of rational expectation. Economic and Political Weekly, 23(26), 1323-1327.
  • Botrić, V., & Vizek, M. (2012). Forecasting fiscal revenues in a transition country: The case of Croatia. Zagreb International Review of Economics & Business, 15(1), 23-36.
  • Boukari, M., & Veiga, F. J. (2018). Disentangling political and ınstitutional determinants of budget forecast errors: A comparative approach. Journal of Comparative Economics, 46(4), 1030-1045. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jce.2018.03.002
  • Bretschneider, S., Gorr, W. L., Grizzle, G., & Klay, E. (1989). Political and organizational influences on the accuracy of forecasting state government revenues. International Journal of Forecasting, 5(3), 307-319. https://doi.org/10.1016/0169-2070(89)90035-6
  • Calabrese, T., & Williams, D. (2019). Bias associated with centrally budgeted expenditure forecasts. D. Williams, & T. Calabrese içinde, The Palgrave handbook of government budget forecasting (s. 201–215). Palgrave MacMillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18195-6_10
  • Calitz, E., Siebrits, K., & Stuart, I. (2013). Enhancing the credibility of fiscal forecasts in South Africa: Is a fiscal council the only way? (Working Papers 25). Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics.
  • Chakraborty, L., & Sinha, D. (2008). Budgetary forecasting in India: Partitioning errors and testing for rational expectations. (MPRA Paper No. 7538). University Library of Munich.
  • Chakraborty, L., Chakraborty, P., & Shrestha, R. (2020). Budget credibility of subnational governments: Analyzing the fiscal forecasting errors of 28 states in India. (Levy Economics Institute of Bard College Working Papers Series WP No. 964). http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3661624
  • Danninger, S. (2005). Revenue forecasts as performance targets. IMF Working Paper, 2005(014), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.5089/9781451860337.001
  • Derrick, R. A. (2002). Better revenue forecasting: Is fiscal stress a stimulant? A look at Nevada local governmentsLas Vegas: UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/1647813
  • Erdoğdu, H., & Yorulmaz, R. (2019). Comparison of tax revenue forecasting models for Turkey. 34. International Public Finance Conference, (s. 482-492). Antalya.
  • Gentry, W. M. (1989). Do state revenue forecasters utilize available ınformation? National Tax Journal, 42(4), 429-439. https://doi.org/10.1086/NTJ41788812
  • Geys, B., Goeminne, S., & Smolders, C. (2008). Political fragmentation and projected tax revenues: Evidence from Flemish municipalities. International Tax and Public Finance, 15(3), 297-315. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10797-007-9021-4
  • Granger, C., & Newbold, P. (1986). Forecasting economic time series (2 baskı). Academic Press.
  • Holden, K., & Peel, D. (1990). On testing for unbiasedness and efficiency of forecasts. Manchester School, (58), 120–127. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9957.1990.tb00413.x
  • Hyndman, R., & Athanasopoulos, G. (2018). Forecasting: Principles and practice (2 baskı). OTexts.
  • Kara, B. (2024). Türkiye'de kamu bütçesi tahminlerinin gerçekliği. Gazi Kitabevi.
  • Khan, T., Hussain, A., & Malik, Z. K. (2018). Fiscal marksmanship in Pakistan: With special focus on province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan Journal of Economic Studies, 1(1), 21–43.
  • Klay, W. E. (1983). Revenue forecasting: An administrative perspective. J. Rabin, & T. D. Lynch, Handbook on public budgeting and financial management (s. 287-315) içinde. Marcel Dekker.
  • Klay, W. E. (1985). The organizational dimension of budgetary forecasting: suggestions from revenue forecasting in the states. International Journal of Public Administration, 7(3), 241-265. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900698508524490
  • Krause, G. A., & Corder, J. (2007). Explaining bureaucratic optimism: Theory and evidence from U.S. executive agency macroeconomic forecasts. The American Political Science Review, 101(1), 129-142. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055407070074
  • Lago-Peñas, I., & Lago-Peñas, S. (2008). Explaining budgetary ındiscipline: Evidence from Spanish municipalities. Public Finance and Management, 8(1), 1-43.
  • Larkey, P., & Smith, R. (1989). Bias in the formulation of local government budget problems. Policy Sciences, (22), 123–166.
  • Leal, T., Pérez, J., Tujula, M., & Vidal, J.-P. (2008). Fiscal forecasting: Lessons from the literature and challenges. Fiscal Studies, 29(3), 347–386. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-5890.2008.00078.x
  • Lee, T.-H., & Kwak, S. (2020). Revenue volatility and forecast errors: Evidence from Korean local governments. Local Government Studies, 46(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/03003930.2019.1708726
  • Leuthold, R. (1975). On the use of Theil's Inequality Coefficients. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 57(2), 344-346.
  • MacManus, S. A., & Grothe, B. (1989). Fiscal stress as a stimulant to better revenue forecasting and productivity. Public Productivity Review, 12(4), 387-400. https://doi.org/10.2307/3380152
  • Mayper, A. G., Granof, M., & Giroux, G. (1991). An analysis of municipal budget variances. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 4(1), 29-50. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513579110003358
  • Mushi, R. (1987). Budgeting and public sector efficiency in Tanzania (Yayımlanmamış doktora tezi). University of Bath.
  • Özcan, S. (2017). Türkiye’de 1924-2012 yılları arası genel bütçe gelir ve gider tahminlerinin doğruluğunun değerlendirilmesi. Gazi Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 19(2), 701-724. https://doi.org/10.26745/gaziuiibfd.418595
  • Özcan, S., & Tosun, M. (2014). Millî Eğitim Bakanlığı bütçe tahminlerinin doğruluk ilkesi açısından değerlendirilmesi. Sosyoekonomi, 22(22), 367-384. https://doi.org/10.17233/se.55581
  • Pathak, R., Cangiano, M., & Desouve, J. (2022). Forecast bias and budget credibility in Rwanda, Senegal and Uganda - Results from a new fiscal database. CABRI.
  • Reddick, C. G. (2008). Evaluating revenue forecasting in city governments: A survey of Texas finance directors. J. Sun, & T. Lynch (Editörler), Government budget forecasting theory and practice (s. 305-324) içinde. Taylor & Francis Group. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315093444
  • Ríos, A.‐M., Guillamón, M.‐D., Benito, B., & Bastida, F. (2018). The influence of transparency on budget forecast deviations in municipal governments. Journal of Forecasting, 37(4), 457–474. https://doi.org/10.1002/for.2513
  • Rubin, I. S. (1987). Estimated and actual urban revenues: Exploring the gap. Public Budgeting & Finance, 7(4), 83-94. https://doi.org/10.1111/1540-5850.00766
  • Sedmihradská, L., & Čabla, A. (2013). Budget accuracy in Czech municipalities and the determinants of tax revenue forecasting errors. Ekonomická revue - Central European Review of Economic Issues, 16(4), 197–206. https://doi.org/10.7327/cerei.2013.12.01
  • Shrestha, R., & Chakraborty, L. (2019). Practising subnational public finance in an emerging economy: Fiscal marksmanship in Kerala (MPRA Paper 93367).
  • Theil, H. (1965). Economic forecasts and policy. North-Holland Publishing Company.
  • Theil, H. (1966). Applied economic forecasting. Rand-McNally & Co.
  • Ünsal, H., Çalışkan, A., Koçak, D., & Ertürk, Y. (2020). Kamu mali yönetimi kapsamında çok değişkenli gri tahmin modeli ile vergi gelirleri tahmini. Mehmet Akif Ersoy Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 7(Özel Sayı), 1104-1120. https://doi.org/10.30798/makuiibf.834239
  • Voorhees, W. (2006). Consistent underestimation bias, the asymmetrical loss function, and homogeneous sources of bias in state revenue forecasts. Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, 18(1), 61-76. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBAFM-18-01-2006-B003
  • Yaşa, A. A., Şanlısoy, S., & Özen, A. (2020). Bütçe tutarlılığı ile politik istikrarsızlık ilişkisi: Türkiye’de 1984-2018 dönemi analizi. Sosyoekonomi, 28(44), 337-354. https://doi.org/10.17233/sosyoekonomi.2020.02.15
  • Yılmaz, E. (2019). Vergi gelirlerinin tahminlenmesine yönelik ekonometrik model. Vergi Dünyası, 449, 38-47.
  • Zakaria, M., & Ali, S. (2010). Fiscal marksmanship in Pakistan. The Lahore Journal of Economics, 15(2), 113-133. https://doi.org/10.35536/lje.2010.v15.i2.a6

TÜRKİYE BÜYÜKŞEHİR BELEDİYELERİNDE BÜTÇE TAHMİNLERİNİN GERÇEKLİK VE YANLILIK ANALİZİ: ON BEŞ BÜYÜKŞEHİR BELEDİYESİ VE 2011-2022 DÖNEMİ

Year 2025, Volume: 26 Issue: 3, 70 - 95, 28.09.2025
https://doi.org/10.53443/anadoluibfd.1584977

Abstract

Belediye gelir ve harcamalarının tam, doğru ve yansız tahmin edilebilmesi, etkili kaynak yönetimini desteklerken; hatalı ve yanlı tahminler kaynak israfına, ekonomik istikrarsızlığa, mali dengenin bozulmasına, güven kaybına ve kamu hizmetlerinin aksamasına yol açmaktadır. Bu çalışmada Türkiye'deki büyükşehir belediyelerindeki bütçe tahminlerinin doğruluğu ve yanlılığı, on beş büyükşehir belediyesi (İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Kocaeli, Bursa, Antalya, Konya, Adana, Tekirdağ, Gaziantep, Kayseri, Şanlıurfa, Samsun, Ordu, Erzurum) kapsamında analiz edilmiştir. Gelir ve gider tahmin hataları hesaplanmış ve değerlendirilmiştir. Theil’in Eşitsizlik Katsayısı Yöntemi ile tahminlerin doğruluğu analiz edilmiş, Holden-Peel testi ile yanlılığın var olup olmadığı incelenmiştir. Sonuçlar, bütçe tahminlerinin çok yüksek oranda hatalı olduğunu ve bazı belediyelerde belirli tahmin yanlılıklarının bulunduğunu göstermiştir. Ayrıca bütçe gerçekliğinin merkezi yönetim bütçe gerçekliğinden daha başarısız olduğu tespit edilmiştir.

References

  • Aslan, M., & Bilge, S. (2009). Türkiye'de 1950–2006 döneminde bütçe gelir gider yönetimi üzerine ampirik bir çalışma: tek parti ve koalisyon hükümetlerinin karşılaştırılması. Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 14(3), 265-288.
  • Bağdigen, M. (2002). How accurate is revenue forecasting in Turkey? An empirical analysis. Yapı Kredi Economic Review, 13(2), 29-37.
  • Bağdigen, M. (2005). An empirical analysis of accurate budget forecasting in Turkey. Doğuş Üniversitesi Dergisi, 6(2), 190-201.
  • Benito, B., Guillamon, M.-D., & Bastida, F. (2015). Budget forecast deviations in municipal governments: determinants and implications. Australian Accounting Review, 25(1), 45-70. https://doi.org/10.1111/auar.12071
  • Bhattacharya, B. B., & Kumari, A. (1988). Budget forecasts of central government revenue and expenditure: A test of rational expectation. Economic and Political Weekly, 23(26), 1323-1327.
  • Botrić, V., & Vizek, M. (2012). Forecasting fiscal revenues in a transition country: The case of Croatia. Zagreb International Review of Economics & Business, 15(1), 23-36.
  • Boukari, M., & Veiga, F. J. (2018). Disentangling political and ınstitutional determinants of budget forecast errors: A comparative approach. Journal of Comparative Economics, 46(4), 1030-1045. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jce.2018.03.002
  • Bretschneider, S., Gorr, W. L., Grizzle, G., & Klay, E. (1989). Political and organizational influences on the accuracy of forecasting state government revenues. International Journal of Forecasting, 5(3), 307-319. https://doi.org/10.1016/0169-2070(89)90035-6
  • Calabrese, T., & Williams, D. (2019). Bias associated with centrally budgeted expenditure forecasts. D. Williams, & T. Calabrese içinde, The Palgrave handbook of government budget forecasting (s. 201–215). Palgrave MacMillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18195-6_10
  • Calitz, E., Siebrits, K., & Stuart, I. (2013). Enhancing the credibility of fiscal forecasts in South Africa: Is a fiscal council the only way? (Working Papers 25). Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics.
  • Chakraborty, L., & Sinha, D. (2008). Budgetary forecasting in India: Partitioning errors and testing for rational expectations. (MPRA Paper No. 7538). University Library of Munich.
  • Chakraborty, L., Chakraborty, P., & Shrestha, R. (2020). Budget credibility of subnational governments: Analyzing the fiscal forecasting errors of 28 states in India. (Levy Economics Institute of Bard College Working Papers Series WP No. 964). http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3661624
  • Danninger, S. (2005). Revenue forecasts as performance targets. IMF Working Paper, 2005(014), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.5089/9781451860337.001
  • Derrick, R. A. (2002). Better revenue forecasting: Is fiscal stress a stimulant? A look at Nevada local governmentsLas Vegas: UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/1647813
  • Erdoğdu, H., & Yorulmaz, R. (2019). Comparison of tax revenue forecasting models for Turkey. 34. International Public Finance Conference, (s. 482-492). Antalya.
  • Gentry, W. M. (1989). Do state revenue forecasters utilize available ınformation? National Tax Journal, 42(4), 429-439. https://doi.org/10.1086/NTJ41788812
  • Geys, B., Goeminne, S., & Smolders, C. (2008). Political fragmentation and projected tax revenues: Evidence from Flemish municipalities. International Tax and Public Finance, 15(3), 297-315. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10797-007-9021-4
  • Granger, C., & Newbold, P. (1986). Forecasting economic time series (2 baskı). Academic Press.
  • Holden, K., & Peel, D. (1990). On testing for unbiasedness and efficiency of forecasts. Manchester School, (58), 120–127. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9957.1990.tb00413.x
  • Hyndman, R., & Athanasopoulos, G. (2018). Forecasting: Principles and practice (2 baskı). OTexts.
  • Kara, B. (2024). Türkiye'de kamu bütçesi tahminlerinin gerçekliği. Gazi Kitabevi.
  • Khan, T., Hussain, A., & Malik, Z. K. (2018). Fiscal marksmanship in Pakistan: With special focus on province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan Journal of Economic Studies, 1(1), 21–43.
  • Klay, W. E. (1983). Revenue forecasting: An administrative perspective. J. Rabin, & T. D. Lynch, Handbook on public budgeting and financial management (s. 287-315) içinde. Marcel Dekker.
  • Klay, W. E. (1985). The organizational dimension of budgetary forecasting: suggestions from revenue forecasting in the states. International Journal of Public Administration, 7(3), 241-265. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900698508524490
  • Krause, G. A., & Corder, J. (2007). Explaining bureaucratic optimism: Theory and evidence from U.S. executive agency macroeconomic forecasts. The American Political Science Review, 101(1), 129-142. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055407070074
  • Lago-Peñas, I., & Lago-Peñas, S. (2008). Explaining budgetary ındiscipline: Evidence from Spanish municipalities. Public Finance and Management, 8(1), 1-43.
  • Larkey, P., & Smith, R. (1989). Bias in the formulation of local government budget problems. Policy Sciences, (22), 123–166.
  • Leal, T., Pérez, J., Tujula, M., & Vidal, J.-P. (2008). Fiscal forecasting: Lessons from the literature and challenges. Fiscal Studies, 29(3), 347–386. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-5890.2008.00078.x
  • Lee, T.-H., & Kwak, S. (2020). Revenue volatility and forecast errors: Evidence from Korean local governments. Local Government Studies, 46(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/03003930.2019.1708726
  • Leuthold, R. (1975). On the use of Theil's Inequality Coefficients. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 57(2), 344-346.
  • MacManus, S. A., & Grothe, B. (1989). Fiscal stress as a stimulant to better revenue forecasting and productivity. Public Productivity Review, 12(4), 387-400. https://doi.org/10.2307/3380152
  • Mayper, A. G., Granof, M., & Giroux, G. (1991). An analysis of municipal budget variances. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 4(1), 29-50. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513579110003358
  • Mushi, R. (1987). Budgeting and public sector efficiency in Tanzania (Yayımlanmamış doktora tezi). University of Bath.
  • Özcan, S. (2017). Türkiye’de 1924-2012 yılları arası genel bütçe gelir ve gider tahminlerinin doğruluğunun değerlendirilmesi. Gazi Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 19(2), 701-724. https://doi.org/10.26745/gaziuiibfd.418595
  • Özcan, S., & Tosun, M. (2014). Millî Eğitim Bakanlığı bütçe tahminlerinin doğruluk ilkesi açısından değerlendirilmesi. Sosyoekonomi, 22(22), 367-384. https://doi.org/10.17233/se.55581
  • Pathak, R., Cangiano, M., & Desouve, J. (2022). Forecast bias and budget credibility in Rwanda, Senegal and Uganda - Results from a new fiscal database. CABRI.
  • Reddick, C. G. (2008). Evaluating revenue forecasting in city governments: A survey of Texas finance directors. J. Sun, & T. Lynch (Editörler), Government budget forecasting theory and practice (s. 305-324) içinde. Taylor & Francis Group. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315093444
  • Ríos, A.‐M., Guillamón, M.‐D., Benito, B., & Bastida, F. (2018). The influence of transparency on budget forecast deviations in municipal governments. Journal of Forecasting, 37(4), 457–474. https://doi.org/10.1002/for.2513
  • Rubin, I. S. (1987). Estimated and actual urban revenues: Exploring the gap. Public Budgeting & Finance, 7(4), 83-94. https://doi.org/10.1111/1540-5850.00766
  • Sedmihradská, L., & Čabla, A. (2013). Budget accuracy in Czech municipalities and the determinants of tax revenue forecasting errors. Ekonomická revue - Central European Review of Economic Issues, 16(4), 197–206. https://doi.org/10.7327/cerei.2013.12.01
  • Shrestha, R., & Chakraborty, L. (2019). Practising subnational public finance in an emerging economy: Fiscal marksmanship in Kerala (MPRA Paper 93367).
  • Theil, H. (1965). Economic forecasts and policy. North-Holland Publishing Company.
  • Theil, H. (1966). Applied economic forecasting. Rand-McNally & Co.
  • Ünsal, H., Çalışkan, A., Koçak, D., & Ertürk, Y. (2020). Kamu mali yönetimi kapsamında çok değişkenli gri tahmin modeli ile vergi gelirleri tahmini. Mehmet Akif Ersoy Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 7(Özel Sayı), 1104-1120. https://doi.org/10.30798/makuiibf.834239
  • Voorhees, W. (2006). Consistent underestimation bias, the asymmetrical loss function, and homogeneous sources of bias in state revenue forecasts. Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, 18(1), 61-76. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBAFM-18-01-2006-B003
  • Yaşa, A. A., Şanlısoy, S., & Özen, A. (2020). Bütçe tutarlılığı ile politik istikrarsızlık ilişkisi: Türkiye’de 1984-2018 dönemi analizi. Sosyoekonomi, 28(44), 337-354. https://doi.org/10.17233/sosyoekonomi.2020.02.15
  • Yılmaz, E. (2019). Vergi gelirlerinin tahminlenmesine yönelik ekonometrik model. Vergi Dünyası, 449, 38-47.
  • Zakaria, M., & Ali, S. (2010). Fiscal marksmanship in Pakistan. The Lahore Journal of Economics, 15(2), 113-133. https://doi.org/10.35536/lje.2010.v15.i2.a6
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Details

Primary Language Turkish
Subjects Budget and Financial Planning, Public Finance
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Berat Kara 0000-0002-6948-2197

Publication Date September 28, 2025
Submission Date November 13, 2024
Acceptance Date August 22, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 26 Issue: 3

Cite

APA Kara, B. (2025). TÜRKİYE BÜYÜKŞEHİR BELEDİYELERİNDE BÜTÇE TAHMİNLERİNİN GERÇEKLİK VE YANLILIK ANALİZİ: ON BEŞ BÜYÜKŞEHİR BELEDİYESİ VE 2011-2022 DÖNEMİ. Anadolu Üniversitesi İktisadi Ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 26(3), 70-95. https://doi.org/10.53443/anadoluibfd.1584977


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