European Union 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 | Latvia | 0.1% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =1 | Germany | 0.1% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 3 | Estonia | -0.3% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 4 | Bulgaria | -0.5% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 5 | Sweden | -0.7% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 6 | Luxembourg | -0.8% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 7 | Austria | -1.4% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 8 | Poland | -1.9% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 9 | Hungary | -2.1% of GDP | 2013 | ||
| 10 | Finland | -2.3% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 11 | Romania | -2.5% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 12 | Italy | -2.9% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 13 | Slovenia | -3.2% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 14 | Croatia | -3.3% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =15 | Lithuania | -3.4% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =15 | Malta | -3.4% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =17 | Netherlands | -4.1% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =17 | Denmark | -4.1% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 19 | Belgium | -4.2% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 20 | Slovakia | -4.4% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 21 | Czech Republic | -4.5% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 22 | France | -4.9% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 23 | Cyprus | -6.4% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 24 | Portugal | -6.5% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 25 | Ireland | -7.6% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 26 | United Kingdom | -8.2% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 27 | Greece | -10.2% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 28 | Spain | -10.9% of GDP | 2012 |
