Field Listing :: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)
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.
Country Comparison to the World
Country
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)(% of GDP)
Afghanistan -8.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Albania -3.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Algeria -4.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
American Samoa -6.1% of GDP (2007)
Andorra -1.4% of GDP (2011)
Angola 6.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Anguilla -5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Antigua and Barbuda -0.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Argentina -2.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
Armenia -1.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
Aruba -9.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Australia -3.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Austria -1.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Azerbaijan 0.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
Bahamas, The -6.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Bahrain -2.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
Bangladesh -4.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Barbados -8.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Belarus 0.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Belgium -4.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Belize 0% of GDP (2012 est.)
Benin -0.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Bermuda -2.5% of GDP (FY11/12 est.)
Bhutan -1.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Bolivia 1.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Bosnia and Herzegovina -2.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Botswana 0.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Brazil 2.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
British Virgin Islands 0% of GDP (2012 est.)
Brunei 13.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Bulgaria -0.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Burkina Faso -3.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Burma -4.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Burundi -3.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Cabo Verde -12.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Cambodia -2.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Cameroon -3.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
Canada -3.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
Cayman Islands -2.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Central African Republic -0.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Chad -1.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Chile 0.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
China -1.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Colombia 0.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Comoros 1.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the -2.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Congo, Republic of the 6.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Cook Islands 1% of GDP (FY05/06)
Costa Rica -4.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Cote d'Ivoire -3.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Croatia -3.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
Cuba -3.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Curacao -0.9% of GDP (2011 est.)
Cyprus -6.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Czech Republic -4.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Denmark -4.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Djibouti -2.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Dominica -12.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Dominican Republic -6.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
Ecuador -1.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Egypt -10.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
El Salvador -3.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Equatorial Guinea -0.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Eritrea -12.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
Estonia -0.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
Ethiopia -2.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) -5% of GDP (FY09/10)
Faroe Islands -11.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Fiji -1.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Finland -2.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
France -4.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
French Polynesia 3.9% of GDP (1999)
Gabon 2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Gambia, The -4.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Georgia -3.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Germany 0.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Ghana -12.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Gibraltar 2.1% of GDP (2008 est.)
Greece -10.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Greenland 1.9% of GDP (2010)
Grenada -5.2% of GDP (2009 est.)
Guam -3% of GDP (FY10/11 est.)
Guatemala -2.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Guernsey 1.2% of GDP (2005)
Guinea -3.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Guinea-Bissau -3% of GDP (2012 est.)
Guyana -5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Haiti -6% of GDP (2012 est.)
Honduras -6% of GDP (2012 est.)
Hong Kong 3.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Hungary -2.1% of GDP
note: Hungary has been under the EU Excessive Deficit Procedure since it joined the EU in 2004; in March 2012 the EU elevated its Excessive Deficit Procedure against Hungary and proposed freezing 30% of the country's Cohesion Funds because 2011 deficit reductions were not achieved in a sustainable manner; in June 2012, the EU lifted the freeze, reognizing that steps had been taken to reduce the deficit; the latest EC forecasts project the Hungarian deficit to increase above 3% both in 2013 and in 2014 due to sluggish growth and the government's fiscal tightening (2012 est.)
Iceland -3.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
India -5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Indonesia -2.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Iran -2.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Iraq 7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Ireland -7.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
Isle of Man 0.5% of GDP (FY05/06 est.)
Israel -4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Italy -2.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Jamaica -4.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Japan -10% of GDP (2012 est.)
Jersey -0.4% of GDP (2005)
Jordan -9.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Kazakhstan -2.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Kenya -5.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Kiribati -29.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Korea, North -0.4% of GDP (2007 est.)
Korea, South 1.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Kosovo -5% of GDP (2011 est.)
Kuwait 31.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Kyrgyzstan -6% of GDP (2012 est.)
Laos -1.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Latvia 0.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Lebanon -9.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
Lesotho 5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Liberia -2.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Libya 27.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Liechtenstein -1.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
Lithuania -3.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Luxembourg -0.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Macau 25.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
Macedonia -3.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Madagascar -1.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Malawi -7.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Malaysia -4.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Maldives -13.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Mali -1.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Malta -3.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Marshall Islands 0.4% of GDP (FY09 est.)
Mauritania 2.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Mauritius -1.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Mexico -2.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Micronesia, Federated States of 1.6% of GDP (FY10/11 est.)
Moldova -2.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Monaco -1.3% of GDP (2011 est.)
Mongolia -8.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Montenegro 2.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Morocco -8.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Mozambique -4.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Namibia -2.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Nepal -6.4% of GDP (FY11/12)
Netherlands -4.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
New Caledonia NA% of GDP
New Zealand -3.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Nicaragua -0.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Niger -2.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Nigeria -2.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Niue -12.6% of GDP (FY04/05)
Northern Mariana Islands -7.9% of GDP (FY10/11 est.)
Norway 14% of GDP (2012 est.)
Oman -0.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
Pakistan -6.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
Palau -2.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Panama -2.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Papua New Guinea -1.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
Paraguay -1.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Peru 2.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Philippines -2.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
Poland -1.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Portugal -6.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Puerto Rico -3.1% of GDP (FY99/00)
Qatar 14.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Romania -2.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Russia -0.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rwanda -1.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Saint Kitts and Nevis 3.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
Saint Lucia -2.8% of GDP (2011 est.)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon 4.6% of GDP
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines -1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Samoa -4.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
San Marino -1.5% of GDP (2011)
Sao Tome and Principe -10.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Saudi Arabia 13.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Senegal -5.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Serbia -7.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
Seychelles 2.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Sierra Leone -5.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
Singapore 2.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Slovakia -4.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Slovenia -3.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Solomon Islands 2% of GDP (2012 est.)
South Africa -4.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Spain -10.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Sri Lanka -6.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Sudan -8.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
Suriname -2.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Svalbard NA% of GDP
Swaziland 0.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
Sweden -0.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Switzerland 0.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Syria -11.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Taiwan -2.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
Tajikistan 1.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Tanzania -4.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Thailand -4.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Timor-Leste -1.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
Togo -3.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Tonga 0% of GDP (2012 est.)
Trinidad and Tobago -1.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Tunisia -2.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Turkey -2.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Turkmenistan 1.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Tuvalu -3.8% of GDP (2006)
Uganda -2.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Ukraine -4.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
United Arab Emirates 7.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
United Kingdom -8.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
United States -6.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Uruguay -2.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Uzbekistan 0.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Vanuatu -1.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Venezuela -14.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Vietnam -4.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
West Bank -16.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
World -3.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Yemen -7.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Zambia -4.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Zimbabwe NA% of GDP