Former British colonies 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 | Kuwait | 31.7% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 2 | Qatar | 14.4% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 3 | Brunei | 13.4% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 4 | United Arab Emirates | 7.2% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 5 | Lesotho | 5% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 6 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 3.6% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 7 | Singapore | 2.1% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 8 | Botswana | 0.8% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 9 | Swaziland | 0.3% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 10 | Antigua and Barbuda | -0.8% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 11 | Belize | 0.0 | 2012 | ||
| 12 | Trinidad and Tobago | -1.1% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =13 | Fiji | -1.7% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =13 | Bhutan | -1.7% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 15 | Nigeria | -2.1% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 16 | Bahrain | -2.3% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =17 | Namibia | -2.8% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =17 | Saint Lucia | -2.8% of GDP | 2011 | ||
| 19 | Uganda | -2.9% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 20 | Canada | -3.3% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 21 | Australia | -3.4% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =22 | New Zealand | -3.8% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =22 | Tuvalu | -3.8% of GDP | 2006 | ||
| 24 | Israel | -4% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =25 | Tanzania | -4.1% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =25 | Burma | -4.1% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 27 | Jamaica | -4.2% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =28 | Malaysia | -4.5% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =28 | The Gambia | -4.5% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 30 | Bangladesh | -4.7% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 31 | Zambia | -4.9% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =32 | India | -5% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| =32 | Guyana | -5% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 34 | Kenya | -5.1% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 35 | Grenada | -5.2% of GDP | 2009 | ||
| 36 | Sierra Leone | -5.3% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 37 | The Bahamas | -6.2% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 38 | Sri Lanka | -6.5% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 39 | Pakistan | -6.6% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 40 | United States | -6.8% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 41 | Yemen | -7.2% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 42 | Malawi | -7.9% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 43 | Barbados | -8.1% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 44 | Sudan | -8.6% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 45 | Jordan | -9.8% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 46 | Egypt | -10.9% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 47 | Ghana | -12.2% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 48 | Dominica | -12.4% of GDP | 2012 | ||
| 49 | Maldives | -13.4% of GDP | 2012 |
