补贴在经济上指由政府提供金钱，以降低生产者及消费者所面对的价格，获得补贴的通常是与公众利益有关的产品，例如农产品。

对反对者来说，补贴会被认为是商业上的福利。补贴可视作税的相反，而补贴也可以减税的形式提供，这种补贴被称为tax expenditures或tax breaks。

补贴令消费者无需付出全费购买商品，但亦防止消费者获得全面价值，补贴的社会是一个消费性社会，因为它不公平地鼓励消费。在自由市场的情况下，消费者会作出对交易获得最高价值的选择，但在补贴的经济情况下，受到补贴的产品将比不消费有人为的更高价值。补贴的代价由税项付出。

A subsidy is a form of financial aid or support extended to an economic sector (or institution, business, or individual) generally with the aim of promoting economic and social policy. Although commonly extended from Government, the term subsidy can relate to any type of support - for example from NGOs or implicit subsidies. Subsidies come in various forms including: direct (cash grants, interest-free loans) and indirect (tax breaks, insurance, low-interest loans, depreciation write-offs, rent rebates).