Europe Compared by Economy > Budget surplus > + or deficit > -
DEFINITION:
This entry records the difference between national government revenues and expenditures, expressed as a percent of GDP. A positive (+) number indicates that revenues exceeded expenditures (a budget surplus), while a negative (-) number indicates the reverse (a budget deficit). Normalizing the data, by dividing the budget balance by GDP, enables easy comparisons across countries and indicates whether a national government saves or borrows money. Countries with high budget deficits (relative to their GDPs) generally have more difficulty raising funds to finance expenditures, than those with lower deficits.
CONTENTS
| # | COUNTRY | AMOUNT | DATE | GRAPH | HISTORY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norway | 14% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 2 | Montenegro | 2.4% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 3 | Belarus | 0.7% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 4 | Azerbaijan | 0.3% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =5 | Latvia | 0.1% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =5 | Switzerland | 0.1% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =5 | Germany | 0.1% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 8 | Russia | -0.1% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 9 | Estonia | -0.3% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 10 | Bulgaria | -0.5% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 11 | Sweden | -0.7% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 12 | Luxembourg | -0.8% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 13 | Monaco | -1.3% of GDP | 2011 | ||
| =14 | Austria | -1.4% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =14 | Andorra | -1.4% of GDP | 2011 | ||
| 16 | San Marino | -1.5% of GDP | 2011 | ||
| =17 | Armenia | -1.6% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =17 | Liechtenstein | -1.6% of GDP | 2011 | ||
| 19 | Poland | -1.9% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =20 | Hungary | -2.1% of GDP | 2013 | ||
| =20 | Turkey | -2.1% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =20 | Moldova | -2.1% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 23 | Finland | -2.3% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 24 | Romania | -2.5% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =25 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | -2.9% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =25 | Italy | -2.9% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 27 | Georgia | -3.1% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 28 | Slovenia | -3.2% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 29 | Croatia | -3.3% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =30 | Lithuania | -3.4% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =30 | Albania | -3.4% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =30 | Malta | -3.4% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 33 | Iceland | -3.5% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 34 | Republic of Macedonia | -3.9% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =35 | Netherlands | -4.1% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =35 | Denmark | -4.1% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 37 | Belgium | -4.2% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =38 | Slovakia | -4.4% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =38 | Ukraine | -4.4% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 40 | Czech Republic | -4.5% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 41 | France | -4.9% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 42 | Kosovo | -5% of GDP | 2011 | ||
| 43 | Cyprus | -6.4% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 44 | Portugal | -6.5% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =45 | Ireland | -7.6% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =45 | Serbia | -7.6% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 47 | United Kingdom | -8.2% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 48 | Greece | -10.2% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 49 | Spain | -10.9% of GDP | 2012 |
Citation
Interesting observations about Economy > Budget surplus > + or deficit > -
- 98 of the top 189 countries by budget surplus > + or deficit > - are Christian.
- 2 of the top 4 countries by budget surplus > + or deficit > - are Tourist destination.
- Kuwait has ranked in the top 3 for budget surplus > + or deficit > - since 2010.
- Macau has ranked in the top 3 for budget surplus > + or deficit > - since 2010.
- Qatar has ranked in the top 4 for budget surplus > + or deficit > - since 2010.
- Brazil ranked first for budget surplus > + or deficit > - amongst Emerging markets in 2012.
- 21 of the bottom 37 countries by budget surplus > + or deficit > - are Heavily indebted.
- San Marino has ranked in the top 4 for budget surplus > + or deficit > - since 2009.
- 25 of the top 89 countries by budget surplus > + or deficit > - are Landlocked.
- Norway has ranked in the top 5 for budget surplus > + or deficit > - since 2010.
