Dataset-Beyond Fiscal Commitment: Public Management and Human Development Trajectories in Canada, Malaysia and South Af-rica

This dataset supports the article, “Beyond Fiscal Commitment: Public Management and Human Development Trajectories in Canada, Malaysia and South Africa.” It contains harmonized longitudinal data on public expenditure, institutional conditions, socioeconomic indicators, and health and education outcomes for Canada, Malaysia, and South Africa from 1990 to 2024, with health-expenditure data covering 2000–2023. The dataset enables comparative analysis of national trajectories, cross-country gaps, convergence and divergence, and progress towards SDGs 3, 4, 8 and 16. Data were compiled from publicly available international sources and prepared for reproducible research. Third-party data remain subject to their original providers’ terms and licenses.