In 2016, the government deficit and debt of both the euro area (EA19) and the EU decreased in relative terms compared with 2015. In the euro area the government deficit-to-GDP ratio fell from 2.1% in 2015 to 1.5% in 2016, and in the EU from 2.4% to 1.7%. In the euro area the government debt-to-GDP ratio declined from 90.3% at the end of 2015 to 89.2% at the end of 2016, and in the EU from 84.9% to 83.5%. The figures, which were released on 24 April by Eurostat, will be used for the application of the excessive deficit procedure (EDP).  In 2016, Luxembourg (+1.6%), Malta (+1.0%), Sweden (+0.9%), Germany (+0.8%), Greece (+0.7%), the Czech Republic (+0.6%), Cyprus and the Netherlands (both +0.4%), Estonia and Lithuania (both +0.3%) registered a government surplus, while Bulgaria and Latvia reported a government balance. The lowest government deficits as a percentage of GDP were recorded in Ireland (-0.6%), Croatia (-0.8%) and Denmark (-0.9%). Four Member States had deficits equal to or higher than 3% of GDP: Spain (-4.5%), France (-3.4%), Romania and the United Kingdom (both -3.0%). At the end of 2016, the lowest ratios of government debt to GDP were recorded in Estonia (9.5%), Luxembourg (20.0%), Bulgaria (29.5%), the Czech Republic (37.2%), Romania (37.6%) and Denmark (37.8%). Sixteen Member States had government debt ratios higher than 60% of GDP, with the highest registered in Greece (179.0%), Italy (132.6%), Portugal (130.4%), Cyprus (107.8%) and Belgium (105.9%).