Seasonally adjusted government deficit at 3.2% of GDP in the euro area and 3.4% in the EU

Overview

In the fourth quarter of 2024, the seasonally adjusted general government deficit to GDP ratio stood at 3.2% in the euro area (EA20) and 3.4% in the EU. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the euro area and EU deficit to GDP ratios increased compared to the third quarter of 2024.

These data are released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

Seasonally adjusted* general government total revenue, total expenditure and surplus (+) / deficit (-) in the euro area and EU (% of GDP)
	2022	2023					2024
(% of GDP)	Q4	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4
Euro area
surplus (+) / deficit (-)	-4.9	-3.1	-3.4	-3.6	-4.0	-3.1	-3.2	-2.8	-3.2
total revenue	46.1	45.9	45.7	46.0	46.3	46.0	46.5	47.0	46.6
total expenditure	51.0	49.0	49.1	49.6	50.3	49.1	49.7	49.8	49.9
EU
surplus (+) / deficit (-)	-4.6	-3.0	-3.3	-3.5	-3.9	-3.0	-3.3	-3.0	-3.4
total revenue	45.6	45.3	45.3	45.6	45.9	45.7	46.0	46.4	46.1
total expenditure	50.2	48.3	48.6	49.1	49.9	48.7	49.3	49.4	49.5
* Calendar day and seasonally adjusted Data are based on national estimates.

Seasonally adjusted government revenue and expenditure for the euro area and EU

In the fourth quarter of 2024, government total revenue in the euro area amounted to 46.6% of GDP. The decrease compared with 47.0% in the third quarter of 2024 was mainly due to an increase in seasonally adjusted government total revenue in absolute terms being outweighed by an increase in nominal GDP. In absolute terms, seasonally adjusted total revenue in the euro area increased by around €7 billion compared with the third quarter of 2024. Government total expenditure in the euro area stood at 49.9% of GDP, an increase compared with the previous quarter, due to an increase in seasonally adjusted total government expenditure by around €26 billion.

In the EU, government total revenue was 46.1% of GDP in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared with 46.4% in the previous quarter. Seasonally adjusted total revenue in the EU increased by around €12 billion compared with the third quarter of 2024. Government total expenditure in the EU was 49.5% of GDP, an increase compared with 49.4% of GDP in the previous quarter. Seasonally adjusted total expenditure increased by around €32 billion compared with the previous quarter.

General government surplus / deficit

Tables

Seasonally adjusted* general government surplus (+) / deficit (-)
% of GDP
	2022	2023				2024
	Q4	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4
Euro area	-4.9	-3.1	-3.4	-3.6	-4.0	-3.1	-3.2	-2.8	-3.2
EU	-4.6	-3.0	-3.3	-3.5	-3.9	-3.0	-3.3	-3.0	-3.4
Belgium	-3.8	-4.8	-4.2	-3.4	-4.1	-3.6	-4.8	-4.8	-4.8
Bulgaria	-0.6	-2.6	-4.1	-4.3	2.5	-5.2	-3.3	-6.4	1.8
Czechia	-3.3	-4.1	-3.6	-3.5	-3.8	-2.0	-2.5	-2.5	-1.8
Denmark	4.0	3.7	3.3	3.4	3.3	5.8	5.3	4.0	2.9
Germany	-4.7	-2.4	-2.5	-2.3	-2.7	-3.3	-2.7	-2.5	-2.5
Estonia	-2.1	-2.5	-0.7	-3.3	-6.0	-2.5	-2.5	-0.9	-0.3
Ireland	1.3	2.2	1.1	1.1	1.9	1.3	2.1	12.6	1.3
Greece	-2.1	-2.4	-1.9	-0.7	-0.5	0.4	1.1	1.6	2.2
Spain	-5.7	-2.6	-4.5	-4.0	-3.0	-2.8	-3.2	-3.4	-3.3
France	-5.7	-5.1	-5.1	-5.5	-5.7	-5.5	-5.5	-6.1	-6.1
Croatia	-1.0	-0.6	0.2	-0.4	-1.9	-1.2	-3.5	-2.2	-2.7
Italy	:	:	:	:	:	:	:	:	:
Cyprus	4.3	-0.7	0.3	5.0	2.1	5.5	3.3	5.0	3.4
Latvia	-6.2	-2.7	-0.7	-4.2	-2.2	-3.2	-9.6	3.8	1.0
Lithuania	-2.5	-1.9	-0.6	0.0	-0.4	-0.7	-1.7	-1.9	-0.3
Luxembourg	-1.1	-1.1	-0.4	0.4	-1.9	1.9	1.3	0.0	1.1
Hungary	-8.8	-9.4	-6.1	-5.5	-6.1	-5.7	-4.9	-5.1	-4.1
Malta	-6.5	-3.3	-3.1	-2.5	-8.5	-0.3	-1.6	-1.6	-10.7
Netherlands	-0.5	-0.8	-0.3	-0.5	0.1	-0.5	-0.6	-0.2	-2.1
Austria	-4.5	-2.2	-2.0	-3.8	-2.4	-2.9	-3.9	-5.9	-5.9
Poland	-6.2	-2.6	-4.5	-6.0	-7.2	-2.2	-8.4	-6.5	-7.9
Portugal	-5.3	2.8	1.1	2.4	-1.3	-0.2	3.3	0.3	-0.6
Romania	-7.3	-6.5	-7.4	-6.9	-5.9	-9.7	-8.2	-9.5	-9.9
Slovenia	-3.5	-3.4	-2.0	-2.3	-1.8	-0.3	-1.9	-1.7	0.8
Slovakia	-2.1	-5.1	-3.8	-4.3	-7.6	-3.5	-4.4	-4.4	-8.8
Finland	-0.5	-1.6	-3.7	-3.0	-3.7	-3.4	-4.9	-5.0	-4.3
Sweden	-0.4	-0.1	-1.0	-0.8	-1.0	-1.1	-1.2	-1.9	-1.6
Iceland**	-6.5	-1.7	-0.7	-1.1	-4.4	-3.4	-4.1	-4.0	-2.5
Switzerland	1.1	0.6	0.3	0.0	-0.1	0.4	0.5	0.6	0.8
* Calendar and seasonally adjusted. EU and euro area data are based on national estimates. ** Seasonally adjusted GDP used for the denominator : Confidential Source dataset: gov_10q_ggnfa

Seasonally adjusted* general government surplus (+) / deficit (-)
Change on the previous quarter in percentage points of GDP
	2023				2024
	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4
Euro area	1.7	-0.2	-0.2	-0.4	0.9	-0.1	0.4	-0.5
EU	1.6	-0.3	-0.2	-0.4	1.0	-0.3	0.3	-0.4
Belgium	-1.0	0.6	0.8	-0.7	0.5	-1.2	0.1	0.0
Bulgaria	-2.0	-1.5	-0.3	6.8	-7.7	1.9	-3.1	8.1
Czechia	-0.9	0.6	0.0	-0.2	1.7	-0.5	0.0	0.7
Denmark	-0.4	-0.4	0.2	-0.1	2.4	-0.5	-1.3	-1.1
Germany	2.3	-0.1	0.2	-0.4	-0.6	0.5	0.3	0.0
Estonia	-0.4	1.8	-2.7	-2.7	3.5	0.0	1.6	0.6
Ireland	0.9	-1.1	0.0	0.8	-0.6	0.8	10.5	-11.3
Greece	-0.3	0.5	1.1	0.2	0.9	0.6	0.6	0.5
Spain	3.1	-1.8	0.5	1.0	0.2	-0.3	-0.2	0.1
France	0.5	0.0	-0.4	-0.2	0.2	0.0	-0.6	0.0
Croatia	0.3	0.8	-0.5	-1.5	0.7	-2.3	1.3	-0.5
Italy	:	:	:	:	:	:	:	:
Cyprus	-5.0	1.0	4.7	-2.8	3.4	-2.3	1.7	-1.6
Latvia	3.4	2.0	-3.5	2.1	-1.1	-6.4	13.4	-2.8
Lithuania	0.5	1.4	0.5	-0.4	-0.3	-1.0	-0.3	1.6
Luxembourg	0.0	0.7	0.8	-2.3	3.9	-0.7	-1.3	1.1
Hungary	-0.6	3.3	0.7	-0.7	0.5	0.8	-0.3	1.0
Malta	3.3	0.1	0.6	-6.0	8.2	-1.3	0.0	-9.2
Netherlands	-0.4	0.5	-0.2	0.7	-0.6	-0.1	0.5	-1.9
Austria	2.3	0.1	-1.8	1.4	-0.5	-1.1	-2.0	0.0
Poland	3.6	-1.9	-1.5	-1.2	5.0	-6.1	1.8	-1.3
Portugal	8.1	-1.7	1.3	-3.7	1.2	3.4	-2.9	-1.0
Romania	0.8	-0.9	0.6	1.0	-3.8	1.4	-1.3	-0.4
Slovenia	0.1	1.4	-0.3	0.5	1.5	-1.6	0.1	2.5
Slovakia	-3.0	1.3	-0.5	-3.3	4.0	-0.8	-0.1	-4.4
Finland	-1.1	-2.1	0.7	-0.8	0.3	-1.4	-0.1	0.7
Sweden	0.3	-0.9	0.2	-0.2	-0.1	-0.1	-0.7	0.3
Iceland**	4.8	1.0	-0.4	-3.3	1.0	-0.7	0.1	1.5
Switzerland	-0.5	-0.4	-0.2	-0.1	0.5	0.1	0.2	0.2
* Calendar and seasonally adjusted. EU and euro area data are based on national estimates. ** Seasonally adjusted GDP used for the denominator : Confidential Source dataset: gov_10q_ggnfa

Non-seasonally adjusted general government surplus (+) / deficit (-)
% of GDP
	2022	2023				2024
	Q4	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4
Euro area	-4.4	-4.1	-3.2	-3.2	-3.5	-4.0	-3.0	-2.5	-2.9
EU	-4.6	-3.9	-2.9	-3.1	-4.0	-3.7	-2.8	-2.6	-3.5
Belgium	-0.7	-9.0	-0.1	-6.7	-1.0	-8.6	-0.4	-8.1	-1.5
Bulgaria	-6.1	-1.6	-2.3	-1.6	-2.4	-4.3	-1.4	-3.6	-2.9
Czechia	-5.3	-6.3	-0.8	-2.3	-5.8	-3.4	-0.1	-1.7	-3.7
Denmark	2.8	4.3	4.2	3.9	1.0	6.7	6.2	4.4	1.2
Germany	-5.3	-2.1	-1.5	-3.0	-3.2	-3.0	-1.8	-3.2	-3.1
Estonia	-2.9	-4.2	0.5	-2.0	-6.6	-4.2	-1.4	0.4	-1.1
Ireland	4.0	0.5	1.2	-0.1	4.7	-0.4	2.5	11.1	3.6
Greece	-0.4	-10.0	1.2	2.2	-0.3	-6.7	4.5	4.6	1.8
Spain	-9.8	-1.0	-8.6	2.3	-6.4	-1.4	-6.7	2.8	-6.8
France	-2.5	-6.1	-6.2	-6.5	-2.9	-6.2	-6.2	-7.2	-3.7
Croatia	-7.1	-1.4	1.0	4.3	-8.0	-1.3	-2.9	2.8	-8.7
Italy	-6.5	-11.0	-5.0	-6.5	-6.6	-8.3	-3.6	-2.7	0.4
Cyprus	0.5	0.8	-3.5	10.4	-1.5	7.3	-0.3	10.1	-0.1
Latvia	-14.2	-1.2	3.0	-1.7	-8.9	-1.6	-5.8	5.7	-5.3
Lithuania	-8.0	-1.3	3.9	1.0	-6.2	-1.0	2.4	-0.7	-5.6
Luxembourg	-4.0	-0.1	2.4	-0.3	-4.8	3.1	4.0	-0.8	-1.8
Hungary	-13.1	-10.2	-3.1	-3.9	-10.0	-6.1	-2.0	-3.7	-7.7
Malta	-7.2	-5.8	-0.6	-1.6	-10.9	-2.2	0.4	0.3	-13.3
Netherlands	-0.9	1.1	0.0	-2.2	-0.3	1.0	-0.1	-1.6	-2.7
Austria	-4.2	-4.7	-1.6	-2.3	-1.9	-5.4	-3.7	-4.3	-5.2
Poland	-9.5	-0.9	-3.4	-5.2	-10.7	-0.4	-7.2	-6.1	-11.8
Portugal	-8.3	1.3	0.9	7.3	-4.6	-0.4	1.7	5.8	-4.3
Romania	-8.8	-8.9	-5.4	-5.3	-7.1	-12.8	-5.9	-7.7	-11.1
Slovenia	-4.2	-3.5	-2.6	-1.3	-3.0	-0.6	-2.5	-0.7	0.1
Slovakia	-4.5	-4.1	-3.3	-2.6	-10.6	-2.5	-3.7	-2.8	-11.8
Finland	-1.1	-0.7	-0.9	-6.1	-4.2	-2.5	-2.5	-8.5	-4.1
Sweden	-2.2	-1.2	1.8	-0.5	-3.1	-1.7	1.3	-1.8	-3.7
Iceland	-6.1	-0.1	-2.6	-0.4	-6.0	-0.9	-6.5	-2.8	-3.6
Norway	20.9	22.5	19.5	11.9	12.0	14.1	15.9	13.0	10.1
Switzerland	1.1	0.6	0.3	0.0	-0.1	0.4	0.5	0.6	0.8

Source dataset: gov_10q_ggnfa

Non-seasonally adjusted general government surplus (+) / deficit (-)
Change on the previous year's quarter in percentage points of GDP
	2023	2024
	Q4	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4
Euro area	0.9	0.1	0.3	0.8	0.6
EU	0.6	0.1	0.1	0.5	0.4
Belgium	-0.4	0.4	-0.3	-1.4	-0.5
Bulgaria	3.8	-2.8	0.9	-2.0	-0.5
Czechia	-0.5	2.9	0.7	0.6	2.1
Denmark	-1.8	2.4	2.0	0.5	0.2
Germany	2.0	-0.9	-0.3	-0.2	0.2
Estonia	-3.8	0.0	-1.9	2.4	5.5
Ireland	0.7	-0.9	1.3	11.2	-1.1
Greece	0.2	3.2	3.2	2.3	2.1
Spain	3.4	-0.4	1.8	0.5	-0.5
France	-0.5	-0.2	0.0	-0.7	-0.8
Croatia	-0.9	0.0	-3.9	-1.5	-0.7
Italy	-0.2	2.7	1.4	3.9	7.0
Cyprus	-2.0	6.5	3.2	-0.3	1.4
Latvia	5.3	-0.4	-8.8	7.4	3.6
Lithuania	1.9	0.3	-1.5	-1.7	0.6
Luxembourg	-0.8	3.2	1.6	-0.6	3.0
Hungary	3.1	4.1	1.1	0.2	2.3
Malta	-3.7	3.6	1.0	1.9	-2.4
Netherlands	0.6	-0.1	-0.1	0.6	-2.4
Austria	2.3	-0.7	-2.1	-2.0	-3.4
Poland	-1.2	0.5	-3.8	-0.9	-1.0
Portugal	3.7	-1.7	0.8	-1.5	0.3
Romania	1.7	-3.9	-0.6	-2.4	-4.0
Slovenia	1.2	2.9	0.1	0.6	3.0
Slovakia	-6.2	1.6	-0.5	-0.2	-1.2
Finland	-3.0	-1.8	-1.6	-2.4	0.1
Sweden	-1.0	-0.5	-0.5	-1.3	-0.6
Iceland	0.1	-0.8	-3.9	-2.4	2.5
Norway	-8.9	-8.4	-3.6	1.1	-1.9
Switzerland	-1.2	-0.3	0.2	0.6	0.9
Source dataset: gov_10q_ggnfa

Notes for users

Methods and definitions

Data for the euro area and EU aggregates are calendar and seasonally adjusted by Eurostat using an indirect approach (by country) for total revenue and total expenditure. Both revenue and expenditure exhibit a clear seasonal pattern. The surplus (+) / deficit (-) is derived indirectly from the above-mentioned transactions. For the ratios to GDP, calendar and seasonally adjusted GDP data are used.

Detailed metadata on seasonal adjustment are available in Statistics Explained.

Quarterly non-financial accounts for general government use concepts that are in line with the methodology laid out in the European System of Accounts (ESA 2010) as well as the concept of general government deficit/surplus used in the context of the Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP). Annual EDP data, last published in April 2025, are the subject of a thorough verification by Eurostat.

Quarterly data on GDP are the most recent ones provided by EU Member States. While non-seasonally adjusted quarterly government deficit/surplus figures are consistent with annual figures with the exception of differences due to data updates, differences between the sum of quarterly non-seasonally adjusted data and annual figures may occur for EU and euro area aggregates due to exchange rates effects. Differences between annualised seasonally adjusted data and annual data occur for technical reasons. Differences between quarterly and annual GDP figures also occur, due to differences in data updates.

Differences between the change in total revenue and total expenditure and the change in surplus (+) / deficit (-) are due to rounding, as are differences between data in percentage of GDP and changes in data in percentage points of GDP.

Since the first quarter of 2020, Member States have implemented COVID-19 containment measures. In all quarters of 2022 and 2023, the impact of the measures to mitigate the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic had a significantly lower impact than in quarters of 2020 and 2021, however, government revenue and expenditure were impacted by the measures undertaken by most Member States to alleviate the impact of increasing energy prices. In the quarters of 2024, such measures have a much lower impact than in preceding quarters. Country specific explanatory metadata are published.

Geographical information

Euro area (EA20): Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland.

European Union (EU27): Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden.