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Budget balance

The budget deficit or surplus as a percent of GDP. A negative value means spending exceeds revenue.

Unit: % of GDP Period: 1980–2031 Source: World Economic Outlook (IMF)
Source: IMF · About the indicator
Average: -2.6% Countries: 197

The ranking uses the latest available value for each country — the year is shown in the row. The table spans 2010 to 2031.

Budget balance, 2010–2031

Top-20 · % of GDP

Budget balance, 2010–20310102030KuwaitKuwait: 28.7%28.7NauruNauru: 15.5%15.5NorwayNorway: 6.3%6.3MacaoMacao: 5.4%5.4OmanOman: 4.6%4.6Republic of the CongoRepublic of the Congo: 4.6%4.6United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates: 4.5%4.5LesothoLesotho: 3.4%3.4LebanonLebanon: 3.3%3.3LiechtensteinLiechtenstein: 3.3%3.3SurinameSuriname: 3.1%3.1QatarQatar: 2.9%2.9EritreaEritrea: 2.7%2.7Sao Tome and PrincipeSao Tome and Principe: 2.7%2.7NicaraguaNicaragua: 2.1%2.1SingaporeSingapore: 1.8%1.8AndorraAndorra: 1.7%1.7LaosLaos: 1.7%1.7CyprusCyprus: 1.6%1.6ArgentinaArgentina: 1.3%1.3
Budget balance — 2010–2031 Current breakdown Full series CSV XLSX JSON
# Year Subregion World rank
1 KW Kuwait 28.7 2031 1
2 NR Nauru 15.5 2031 2
3 NO Norway 6.3 2031 3
4 MO Macao 5.4 2031 4
5 OM Oman 4.6 2031 5
6 CG Republic of the Congo 4.6 2031 5
7 AE United Arab Emirates 4.5 2031 7
8 LS Lesotho 3.4 2031 8
9 LB Lebanon 3.3 2025 9
10 LI Liechtenstein 3.3 2031 9
11 SR Suriname 3.1 2031 11
12 QA Qatar 2.9 2031 12
13 ER Eritrea 2.7 2019 13
14 ST Sao Tome and Principe 2.7 2031 13
15 NI Nicaragua 2.1 2031 15
16 SG Singapore 1.8 2031 16
17 AD Andorra 1.7 2031 17
18 LA Laos 1.7 2031 17
19 CY Cyprus 1.6 2031 19
20 AR Argentina 1.3 2031 20
21 AW Aruba 1.1 2031 21
22 MR Mauritania 0.7 2031 22
23 BB Barbados 0.6 2031 23
24 SM San Marino 0.6 2031 23
25 GD Grenada 0.4 2031 25
26 IE Ireland 0.4 2031 25
27 YE Yemen 0.3 2031 27
28 BS Bahamas 0.2 2031 28
29 CV Cabo Verde 0.2 2031 28
30 PG Papua New Guinea 0.2 2031 28
31 CH Switzerland 0.2 2031 28
32 PW Palau 0.1 2031 32
33 DJ Djibouti 0 2031 33
34 DM Dominica 0 2031 33
35 IS Iceland 0 2031 33
36 MU Mauritius 0 2031 33
37 PR Puerto Rico -0.1 2031 37
38 SL Sierra Leone -0.1 2031 37
39 BY Belarus -0.3 2031 39
40 AZ Azerbaijan -0.5 2031 40
41 DK Denmark -0.5 2031 40
42 GM Gambia -0.5 2031 40
43 SE Sweden -0.5 2031 40
44 HN Honduras -0.6 2031 44
45 NZ New Zealand -0.6 2031 44
46 SC Seychelles -0.6 2031 44
47 GR Greece -0.7 2031 47
48 TM Turkmenistan -0.7 2031 47
49 HK Hong Kong -0.8 2031 49
50 AF Afghanistan -0.9 2025 50
51 AG Antigua and Barbuda -0.9 2031 50
52 LR Liberia -0.9 2031 50
53 SS South Sudan -0.9 2031 50
54 ZW Zimbabwe -0.9 2031 50
55 BZ Belize -1.1 2031 55
56 GY Guyana -1.1 2031 55
57 KR South Korea -1.1 2031 55
58 CM Cameroon -1.2 2031 58
59 TD Chad -1.2 2031 58
60 CD Democratic Republic of the Congo -1.2 2031 58
61 FM Micronesia -1.2 2031 58
62 AM Armenia -1.3 2031 62
63 UA Ukraine -1.3 2031 62
64 VN Vietnam -1.3 2031 62
65 AU Australia -1.4 2031 65
66 KM Comoros -1.4 2031 65
67 SV El Salvador -1.4 2031 65
68 PA Panama -1.4 2031 65
69 PY Paraguay -1.4 2031 65
70 CA Canada -1.5 2031 70
71 ET Ethiopia -1.5 2031 70
72 HT Haiti -1.5 2031 70
73 JM Jamaica -1.5 2031 70
74 PH Philippines -1.5 2031 70
75 WS Samoa -1.5 2031 70
76 PT Portugal -1.6 2031 76
77 GB United Kingdom -1.6 2031 76
78 KZ Kazakhstan -1.7 2031 78
79 PE Peru -1.7 2031 78
80 FJ Fiji -1.8 2031 80
81 NG Nigeria -1.9 2031 81
82 RS Serbia -1.9 2031 81
83 CL Chile -2 2031 83
84 DO Dominican Republic -2 2031 83
85 XK Kosovo -2 2031 83
86 ZM Zambia -2 2031 83
87 SO Somalia -2.1 2031 87
88 TW Taiwan -2.1 2031 87
89 UY Uruguay -2.1 2031 87
90 UZ Uzbekistan -2.1 2031 87
91 AL Albania -2.2 2031 91
92 CR Costa Rica -2.2 2031 91
93 GQ Equatorial Guinea -2.2 2031 91
94 GE Georgia -2.2 2031 91
95 GH Ghana -2.2 2031 91
96 ES Spain -2.2 2031 91
97 TH Thailand -2.2 2031 91
98 CO Colombia -2.4 2031 98
99 HR Croatia -2.4 2031 98
100 GT Guatemala -2.4 2031 98
101 ML Mali -2.4 2031 98
102 LC Saint Lucia -2.4 2031 98
103 GN Guinea -2.5 2031 103
104 KG Kyrgyzstan -2.5 2031 103
105 TJ Tajikistan -2.5 2031 103
106 MT Malta -2.6 2031 106
107 NL Netherlands -2.6 2031 106
108 SZ Eswatini -2.7 2031 108
109 IT Italy -2.7 2031 108
110 MY Malaysia -2.7 2031 108
111 SD Sudan -2.7 2031 108
112 TT Trinidad and Tobago -2.7 2031 108
113 TR Türkiye -2.7 2031 108
114 ID Indonesia -2.8 2031 114
115 RU Russia -2.8 2031 114
116 BJ Benin -2.9 2031 116
117 EC Ecuador -2.9 2025 116
118 FR France -2.9 2031 116
119 SI Slovenia -2.9 2031 116
120 SB Solomon Islands -2.9 2031 116
121 BF Burkina Faso -3 2031 121
122 CI Côte d'Ivoire -3 2031 121
123 GW Guinea-Bissau -3 2031 121
124 MX Mexico -3 2031 121
125 MA Morocco -3 2031 121
126 NP Nepal -3 2031 121
127 NE Niger -3 2031 121
128 MK North Macedonia -3 2031 121
129 PS Palestine -3 2024 121
130 SN Senegal -3 2031 121
131 TG Togo -3 2031 121
132 CZ Czechia -3.1 2031 132
133 EG Egypt -3.1 2031 132
134 LU Luxembourg -3.1 2031 132
135 MN Mongolia -3.1 2031 132
136 BI Burundi -3.2 2031 136
137 SA Saudi Arabia -3.2 2031 136
138 TZ Tanzania -3.2 2031 136
139 BG Bulgaria -3.3 2031 139
140 KH Cambodia -3.3 2031 139
141 MM Myanmar -3.3 2031 139
142 MD Moldova -3.4 2031 142
143 AT Austria -3.6 2031 143
144 EE Estonia -3.6 2031 143
145 IR Iran -3.6 2031 143
146 MG Madagascar -3.6 2031 143
147 RW Rwanda -3.6 2031 143
148 FI Finland -3.7 2031 148
149 DE Germany -3.7 2031 148
150 MH Marshall Islands -3.7 2031 148
151 VU Vanuatu -3.8 2031 151
152 AO Angola -3.9 2031 152
153 ZA South Africa -3.9 2031 152
154 JP Japan -4 2031 154
155 LV Latvia -4 2031 154
156 JO Jordan -4.3 2031 156
157 LT Lithuania -4.3 2031 156
158 ME Montenegro -4.3 2031 156
159 BA Bosnia and Herzegovina -4.6 2031 159
160 PK Pakistan -4.6 2031 159
161 UG Uganda -4.6 2031 159
162 PL Poland -4.8 2031 162
163 IL Israel -4.9 2031 163
164 BT Bhutan -5 2031 164
165 RO Romania -5.2 2031 165
166 NA Namibia -5.3 2031 166
167 SK Slovakia -5.4 2031 167
168 LK Sri Lanka -5.4 2024 167
169 HU Hungary -5.5 2031 169
170 BD Bangladesh -5.7 2031 170
171 BE Belgium -5.8 2031 171
172 VE Venezuela -5.8 2025 171
173 KN Saint Kitts and Nevis -6 2031 173
174 BR Brazil -6.1 2031 174
175 KE Kenya -6.3 2031 175
176 IN India -6.6 2031 176
177 MV Maldives -6.7 2031 177
178 TN Tunisia -6.8 2031 178
179 IQ Iraq -7.3 2031 179
180 US United States -7.4 2031 180
181 BW Botswana -7.5 2031 181
182 SY Syria -7.8 2010 182
183 CN China -8 2031 183
184 DZ Algeria -8.6 2031 184
185 BH Bahrain -8.7 2031 185
186 TV Tuvalu -8.8 2031 186
187 BN Brunei Darussalam -9 2031 187
188 BO Bolivia -9.3 2026 188
189 CF Central African Republic -9.6 2031 189
190 VC Saint Vincent and the Grenadines -9.6 2031 189
191 MZ Mozambique -11 2031 191
192 MW Malawi -11.3 2031 192
193 TO Tonga -11.6 2031 193
194 GA Gabon -11.8 2031 194
195 KI Kiribati -14.7 2031 195
196 LY Libya -20.4 2031 196
197 TL Timor-Leste -51.7 2031 197
Nothing found. Check the spelling of the name.
Maximum 28.7%
Median -2.4%
Minimum -51.7%
World -4.85%

About the indicator

Net lending or net borrowing of general government as a percent of GDP — what is commonly called the budget deficit, taken with a plus sign when there is a surplus. General government includes regions, local authorities and extrabudgetary funds, so the quantity is fuller than the balance of the central budget alone. The IMF series runs with a forecast several years ahead.

Important: Negative values are deficits. Accumulated deficits are what government debt is, so the two indicators are worth looking at together: a country can live with a deficit for years and carry a small debt all the same, if its economy grows faster.

Updates
twice a year: April and October
Unit of measurement
% of GDP
Observation period
1980–2031
License
IMF open data
Dataset
World Economic Outlook

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