Economy > Budget surplus > + or deficit > -: Countries Compared

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.

SHOW ALL

LESS

CONTENTS

MAP
INTERESTING
Q+A

SHARE TWEET EMBED EXPORT

Totals

#	COUNTRY	AMOUNT	DATE
1	Kuwait	31.7% of GDP	2012
2	Libya	27.7% of GDP	2012
3	Macau	25.6% of GDP	2012
4	Qatar	14.4% of GDP	2012
5	Norway	14% of GDP	2012
6	Brunei	13.4% of GDP	2012
7	Saudi Arabia	13.1% of GDP	2012
	OPEC countries average (profile)	7.57% of GDP	2012
8	United Arab Emirates	7.2% of GDP	2012
9	Iraq	7% of GDP	2012
10	Congo, Republic of the	6.5% of GDP	2012
11	Angola	6.2% of GDP	2012
12	Lesotho	5% of GDP	2012
13	Saint Pierre and Miquelon	4.6% of GDP	2013
14	French Polynesia	3.9% of GDP	1999
15	Saint Kitts and Nevis	3.6% of GDP	2012
16	Hong Kong	3.1% of GDP	2012
17	Mauritania	2.9% of GDP	2012
=18	Montenegro	2.4% of GDP	2012
=18	Brazil	2.4% of GDP	2012
=20	Peru	2.2% of GDP	2012
=20	Seychelles	2.2% of GDP	2012
=22	Singapore	2.1% of GDP	2012
=22	Gibraltar	2.1% of GDP	2008
=24	Gabon	2% of GDP	2012
=24	Solomon Islands	2% of GDP	2012
26	Greenland	1.9% of GDP	2010
27	Bolivia	1.8% of GDP	2012
28	Federated States of Micronesia	1.6% of GDP	2011
	Middle Eastern and North Africa average (profile)	1.52% of GDP	2012
=29	South Korea	1.5% of GDP	2012
=29	Comoros	1.5% of GDP	2012
=31	Turkmenistan	1.4% of GDP	2012
=31	Tajikistan	1.4% of GDP	2012
33	Guernsey	1.2% of GDP	2005
34	Cook Islands	1% of GDP	2006
35	Botswana	0.8% of GDP	2012
36	Belarus	0.7% of GDP	2012
=37	Colombia	0.5% of GDP	2012
=37	Chile	0.5% of GDP	2012
=37	Isle of Man	0.5% of GDP	2006
40	Marshall Islands	0.4% of GDP	2009
=41	Swaziland	0.3% of GDP	2012
=41	Azerbaijan	0.3% of GDP	2012
43	Uzbekistan	0.2% of GDP	2012
=44	Latvia	0.1% of GDP	2012
=44	Switzerland	0.1% of GDP	2012
=44	Germany	0.1% of GDP	2012
47	Russia	-0.1% of GDP	2012
48	Nicaragua	-0.2% of GDP	2012
=49	Estonia	-0.3% of GDP	2012
=49	Oman	-0.3% of GDP	2012
=51	North Korea	-0.4% of GDP	2007
=51	Jersey	-0.4% of GDP	2005
=53	Benin	-0.5% of GDP	2012
=53	Bulgaria	-0.5% of GDP	2012
=55	Central African Republic	-0.7% of GDP	2012
=55	Sweden	-0.7% of GDP	2012
=57	Luxembourg	-0.8% of GDP	2012
=57	Antigua and Barbuda	-0.8% of GDP	2012
59	Equatorial Guinea	-0.9% of GDP	2012
	Muslim countries average (profile)	-0.964% of GDP	2012
60	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	-1% of GDP	2012
=61	Belize	0.0	2012
=61	Tonga	0.0	2012
=61	British Virgin Islands	0.0	2012
=64	Ecuador	-1.1% of GDP	2012
=64	Rwanda	-1.1% of GDP	2012
=64	Trinidad and Tobago	-1.1% of GDP	2012
67	Mali	-1.2% of GDP	2012
68	Monaco	-1.3% of GDP	2011
	Former Soviet republics average (profile)	-1.32% of GDP	2012
=69	Laos	-1.4% of GDP	2012
=69	Austria	-1.4% of GDP	2012
=69	Andorra	-1.4% of GDP	2011
72	San Marino	-1.5% of GDP	2011
=73	East Timor	-1.6% of GDP	2012
=73	Papua New Guinea	-1.6% of GDP	2012
=73	Armenia	-1.6% of GDP	2012
=73	Liechtenstein	-1.6% of GDP	2011
=77	Madagascar	-1.7% of GDP	2012
=77	Fiji	-1.7% of GDP	2012
=77	Paraguay	-1.7% of GDP	2012
=77	China	-1.7% of GDP	2012
=77	Bhutan	-1.7% of GDP	2012
	Hot countries average (profile)	-1.736% of GDP	2012
=82	Mauritius	-1.8% of GDP	2012
=82	Chad	-1.8% of GDP	2012
=84	Vanuatu	-1.9% of GDP	2012
=84	Poland	-1.9% of GDP	2012
=86	Hungary	-2.1% of GDP	2013
=86	Turkey	-2.1% of GDP	2012
=86	Indonesia	-2.1% of GDP	2012
=86	Panama	-2.1% of GDP	2012
=86	Nigeria	-2.1% of GDP	2012
=86	Moldova	-2.1% of GDP	2012
	Religious countries average (profile)	-2.152% of GDP	2012
=92	Bahrain	-2.3% of GDP	2012
=92	Finland	-2.3% of GDP	2012
=92	Philippines	-2.3% of GDP	2012
=92	New Caledonia	-2.3% of GDP	2001
	Cold countries average (profile)	-2.316% of GDP	2012
	Eastern Europe average (profile)	-2.358% of GDP	2012
=96	Guatemala	-2.4% of GDP	2012
=96	Iran	-2.4% of GDP	2012
=96	Palau	-2.4% of GDP	2010
=96	Suriname	-2.4% of GDP	2010
=100	Bermuda	-2.5% of GDP	2012
=100	Romania	-2.5% of GDP	2012
=100	Democratic Republic of the Congo	-2.5% of GDP	2012
	Emerging markets average (profile)	-2.548% of GDP	2012
	Former British colonies average (profile)	-2.596% of GDP	2012
=103	Taiwan	-2.6% of GDP	2012
=103	Argentina	-2.6% of GDP	2012
	Former Spanish colonies average (profile)	-2.645% of GDP	2012
=105	Ethiopia	-2.7% of GDP	2012
=105	Liberia	-2.7% of GDP	2012
=105	Mexico	-2.7% of GDP	2012
=105	Cayman Islands	-2.7% of GDP	2012
=105	Niger	-2.7% of GDP	2012
=105	Tunisia	-2.7% of GDP	2012
	Europe average (profile)	-2.78% of GDP	2012
=111	Uruguay	-2.8% of GDP	2012
=111	Djibouti	-2.8% of GDP	2012
=111	Namibia	-2.8% of GDP	2012
=111	Saint Lucia	-2.8% of GDP	2011
	Non-religious countries average (profile)	-2.838% of GDP	2012
=115	Bosnia and Herzegovina	-2.9% of GDP	2012
=115	Italy	-2.9% of GDP	2012
=115	Cambodia	-2.9% of GDP	2012
=115	Uganda	-2.9% of GDP	2012
=115	Kazakhstan	-2.9% of GDP	2012
=120	Guinea-Bissau	-3% of GDP	2012
=120	Guam	-3% of GDP	2011
	Potential Future EU Members average (profile)	-3% of GDP	2012
	NATO countries average (profile)	-3.022% of GDP	2012
	Sub-Saharan Africa average (profile)	-3.051% of GDP	2012
	Christian countries average (profile)	-3.076% of GDP	2012
=122	Georgia	-3.1% of GDP	2012
=122	Puerto Rico	-3.1% of GDP	2000
	Latin America and Caribbean average (profile)	-3.156% of GDP	2012
=124	Burkina Faso	-3.2% of GDP	2012
=124	Slovenia	-3.2% of GDP	2012
	High income OECD countries average (profile)	-3.281% of GDP	2012
=126	Canada	-3.3% of GDP	2012
=126	Croatia	-3.3% of GDP	2012
=128	Guinea	-3.4% of GDP	2012
=128	Australia	-3.4% of GDP	2012
=128	Lithuania	-3.4% of GDP	2012
=128	Albania	-3.4% of GDP	2012
=128	Malta	-3.4% of GDP	2012
	Former French colonies average (profile)	-3.412% of GDP	2012
=133	El Salvador	-3.5% of GDP	2012
=133	Cote d'Ivoire	-3.5% of GDP	2012
=133	Iceland	-3.5% of GDP	2012
136	Cameroon	-3.6% of GDP	2012
	failed states average (profile)	-3.623% of GDP	2012
=137	Cuba	-3.7% of GDP	2012
=137	Togo	-3.7% of GDP	2012
	European Union average (profile)	-3.754% of GDP	2012
	Catholic countries average (profile)	-3.757% of GDP	2012
=139	New Zealand	-3.8% of GDP	2012
=139	Burundi	-3.8% of GDP	2012
=139	Tuvalu	-3.8% of GDP	2006
142	Republic of Macedonia	-3.9% of GDP	2012
	Landlocked countries average (profile)	-3.955% of GDP	2010
143	Israel	-4% of GDP	2012
	Eurozone average (profile)	-4.072% of GDP	2012
=144	Netherlands	-4.1% of GDP	2012
=144	Tanzania	-4.1% of GDP	2012
=144	Denmark	-4.1% of GDP	2012
=144	Burma	-4.1% of GDP	2012
=148	Jamaica	-4.2% of GDP	2012
=148	Vietnam	-4.2% of GDP	2012
=148	Mozambique	-4.2% of GDP	2012
=148	Belgium	-4.2% of GDP	2012
	South and Central Asia average (profile)	-4.375% of GDP	2012
=152	Slovakia	-4.4% of GDP	2012
=152	Thailand	-4.4% of GDP	2012
=152	Ukraine	-4.4% of GDP	2012
=155	Malaysia	-4.5% of GDP	2012
=155	Costa Rica	-4.5% of GDP	2012
=155	The Gambia	-4.5% of GDP	2012
=155	Samoa	-4.5% of GDP	2012
=155	Czech Republic	-4.5% of GDP	2012
=160	Bangladesh	-4.7% of GDP	2012
=160	Algeria	-4.7% of GDP	2012
162	South Africa	-4.8% of GDP	2012
=163	France	-4.9% of GDP	2012
=163	Zambia	-4.9% of GDP	2012
=165	Anguilla	-5% of GDP	2012
=165	India	-5% of GDP	2012
=165	Guyana	-5% of GDP	2012
=165	Kosovo	-5% of GDP	2011
=165	Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)	-5% of GDP	2010
170	Kenya	-5.1% of GDP	2012
	Group of 7 countries (G7) average (profile)	-5.143% of GDP	2012
171	Grenada	-5.2% of GDP	2009
172	Sierra Leone	-5.3% of GDP	2012
	South Asia average (profile)	-5.34% of GDP	2012
	Heavily indebted countries average (profile)	-5.754% of GDP	2012
173	Senegal	-5.9% of GDP	2012
=174	Haiti	-6% of GDP	2012
=174	Kyrgyzstan	-6% of GDP	2012
=174	Honduras	-6% of GDP	2012
177	American Samoa	-6.1% of GDP	2007
178	The Bahamas	-6.2% of GDP	2012
=179	Nepal	-6.4% of GDP	2012
=179	Cyprus	-6.4% of GDP	2012
=181	Sri Lanka	-6.5% of GDP	2012
=181	Portugal	-6.5% of GDP	2012
=183	Dominican Republic	-6.6% of GDP	2012
=183	Pakistan	-6.6% of GDP	2012
185	United States	-6.8% of GDP	2012
186	Yemen	-7.2% of GDP	2012
=187	Ireland	-7.6% of GDP	2012
=187	Serbia	-7.6% of GDP	2012
=189	Malawi	-7.9% of GDP	2012
=189	Northern Mariana Islands	-7.9% of GDP	2011
191	Barbados	-8.1% of GDP	2012
192	United Kingdom	-8.2% of GDP	2012
193	Morocco	-8.4% of GDP	2012
194	Mongolia	-8.5% of GDP	2012
195	Sudan	-8.6% of GDP	2012
196	Afghanistan	-8.7% of GDP	2012
197	Lebanon	-9.6% of GDP	2012
=198	Jordan	-9.8% of GDP	2012
=198	Aruba	-9.8% of GDP	2012
200	Japan	-10% of GDP	2012
201	Greece	-10.2% of GDP	2012
=202	Sao Tome and Principe	-10.9% of GDP	2012
=202	Spain	-10.9% of GDP	2012
=202	Egypt	-10.9% of GDP	2012
205	Syria	-11.4% of GDP	2012
206	Faroe Islands	-11.9% of GDP	2010
207	Cape Verde	-12.1% of GDP	2012
208	Ghana	-12.2% of GDP	2012
209	Dominica	-12.4% of GDP	2012
=210	Eritrea	-12.6% of GDP	2012
=210	Niue	-12.6% of GDP	2005
212	Maldives	-13.4% of GDP	2012
213	Venezuela	-14.8% of GDP	2012
214	West Bank	-16.6% of GDP	2011
215	Kiribati	-29.9% of GDP	2010

Citation

SHARE TWEET EMBED