Summing Up The Year 2016: Annual Report by Ministry of Magic
At the end of the year we usually want to take a look back – what hasn’t happened yet and what can we expect in the near future? So, some statistics from recently published ‘Annual Report 2016’ made by John Khass, chief analyst of Financial Department of Ministry of Magic (FDMM).
TOTAL WIZARD POPULATION
Wizard population in UK was estimated to be 1,142,570 as of December 1, 2016, according to the Bureau of Statistics of FDMM. This is an increase of 17,139 persons since December 1, 2015. Wizard annual population growth rate was the fourth highest of all over the world. Of course, Great London had the highest growth rates among all counties.
NATURAL INCREASE
UK Wizard community experienced 15,743 births in Wizards families, 4,886 Muggle-borns were found and 9,846 deaths occurred during 2016 for a natural increase of 10,783.
MIGRATION
Migration is the largest component of Wizard population change in UK. Preliminary data suggest that in 2016, 29,540 wizards and witches legally moved to UK from other countries and 23,184 residents left for other provinces. All data in this report are preliminary and subject to revision. For more details, contact the Bureau of Statistics of FDMM at + 98989 959 444888 or visit www.stats.wom. (Some unreliable sources as ‘Echo of Freedom’ gives additional data about 20,622 wizards, mostly from MidEast, moved to UK through illegal Portkeys, arranged by their connections in the UK. Problem of “guest wizards” is a main political question of this year. Because of some Muggles` wars, a lot of wizards from abroad were forced to move into the UK. As far as we could see, Ministry has no any plan to solve the situation and they waste time in the useless debates, gambles and absolutely unrelated scandals – such as control of Gringotts.)
TOTAL WIZARD TAX REVENUES
in 2016 is GG5.38bn, GG199.06 million more than last year. We brought in record total tax revenues for the sixth consecutive year. (We can be ‘grateful’ for it to Ministry-approved Act of Taxes for Muggle-tribute.)
SMALL BUSINESS CUSTOMERS
There are more than five thousand small businesses, which employ fewer than 10 wizards and have an annual turnover of less than GG5 million. Micro businesses employ fewer than five wizards, with a turnover below GG1 million. The number of small businesses has reduced by more than 7% since 2015, with a rapid rise in unemployment and Muggle-trading. Still 95%+ of total UK Wizard businesses are small businesses. (Some of them employed ‘guest wizards’ that allowed to save their expenses but also increased coin-Galleons turnover, that, in its turn, increased turnover of illegal potions, restricted artifacts, anti-Muggle activities and wizard crimes.)
LARGE BUSINESS CUSTOMERS
There are around 100 large businesses, each with an annual turnover of more than GG200 million. These include UK national Wizard businesses and multinational corporations with a UK base, such as MalfoyStanley, Umbridgewater, Gringotts etc, and they account for approximately 40% of total tax receipts. (Almost half of large businesses are under surveillance at any one time to ensure that they pay the tax due, the biggest penalties for tax avoidance of this year – GG250M paid by MalfoyStanley and GG50M paid by Gringotts – still in trial.)
EXPENSES FOR HEALTHCARE
This year Ministry keeps funding of St. Mungo on the level of 2015, around GG180M and plans to reduce government subsidy for 2017 by 25%. (Cuts to public health are a false economy. The Ministry must commit to protecting funding for public healthcare. Not to do so will have negative consequences for current and future generations and risks of widening health inequalities. Further cuts to public healthcare will also threaten the future stability of St. Mungo`s structures.)
EXPENSES FOR SECURITY & DEFENSE
Double-increasing numbers of Aurors and additional funding of Department of Magical Law Enforcement, increased expenses for Security & Defense up to GG522M. Also for iWands, protection artifacts and equipment by Leycoils of all Aurors, Ministry additionally subsidized Security Services for GG114M. (It became a biggest budget in Wizard history, close to American Wizard Defense budget! In the peaceful time! We have no war. We await no war. We have no tensions with Muggles and other Wizard communities. What the purpose of all these expenditures?)
ANTI-MUGGLE ACTIVITIES
Police-recorded anti-Muggles crimes are almost non-existent in UK after Wizard War II, as illustrated the data provided by an Aurors` Office to this report. But, possibly, some Aurors` forces, operating in counties in which thousands of Wizards live, have recorded few or no anti-Muggles crimes. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement (DMLE) investigates 14 causes of this apparent underreporting and provides extra support, where needed, to police forces with less experience of investigating anti-Muggles incidents. (Although the UK remains one of the least anti-Muggles countries in Europe, it is alarming that recent surveys show that as many as one in 20 adult Wizards in the UK could be characterized as “clearly anti-Muggles”. The stark increase in potentially anti-Muggles views between 2014 and 2015 is a trend that will concern many. There is a real risk that the UK is moving in the wrong direction on anti-Muggles, in contrast to many other countries in Western Europe. The fact that it seems to have entered political discourse (it seems to be on the table of political discourse) is a particular concern. This should be a real wake-up call for those who value the UK’s proud Wizard democracy. The Ministry, Aurors and Wizengamot must monitor this situation carefully and prevent a robust, zero-tolerance approach to this problem should be established as a standard.)
EDUCATION
Hogwarts accepted this year 1,489 newcomers, that 5,75% more than last year, and released 1,054 students after OWL`s and 245 students after NEWT. Also 288 students came to study to Hogwarts from abroad with an International Wizard Education Program. The Board of Governors of Hogwarts got a GG78M of annual subsidy from Ministry of Magic. (More than 25% of students got A or D at their OWLs and less than 40% filled out applications for the NEWT 2017. It`s worse than last year for 7% and 5% accordingly.)
