What are the government budget deficits as percentage of gnp of the eu countries
Executive summary
The EU-wide government deficit stood at about 3.1% of GDP for 2024, with the euro area registering the same aggregate headline figure — a decline from the mid‑3% range in the prior year [1]. Quarterly seasonally adjusted figures show the deficit around 3.2% in mid‑2025, and European institutions expect aggregate deficits to edge up again toward 3.2–3.3% by 2025–2026 as spending pressures (notably defence) rise [2] [3] [4].
1. Aggregate picture: the EU and the euro area
Eurostat’s EDP‑aligned reporting places the euro‑area general government deficit at 3.1% of GDP in 2024 and reports the EU aggregate broadly the same at 3.1% [1], while other Eurostat releases and seasonally adjusted quarterly series place the short‑term deficit reading around 3.2% (third quarter 2025) [2] [3]. Independent data aggregators echo the euro‑area 2024 headline — for example, TradingEconomics lists a 3.10% government budget deficit for the euro area in 2024 [5].
2. The benchmark everyone compares to — 3% and the EDP
The Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) remains the rulebook: member states pledge to keep deficits below 3% of GDP and debt below 60% of GDP, with the Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP) as the enforcement mechanism for breaches [6]. The EU’s fiscal framework update reiterates the 3% deficit reference and aims to balance fiscal sustainability with investment priorities, a tension noted by policy analysts [7].
3. Countries under scrutiny and notable movements
While a full country‑by‑country list is not reproduced in the available snippets, Eurogroup and Council documents explicitly identify member states subject to or at risk under the EDP — for example, a group including Austria, Italy, Slovakia and France were mentioned in Eurogroup statements relating to 2026 plans, and Commission assessments flagged Croatia, Lithuania and Slovenia as at risk of non‑compliance [4]. VisualCapitalist’s synthesis highlights significant heterogeneity across members — Italy, for instance, cut its deficit sharply from 7.2% in 2023 to 3.4% in 2024 according to their compilation, while France registered one of the widest deficits in the bloc [8]. The Council’s recommendations show case‑by‑case timelines and fiscal ceilings for countries in deficit procedures (Belgium, France, Malta among those referenced) [9].
4. Where to find the country‑level deficits and the limits of this report
National and EU sources publish country‑level EDP deficit ratios annually: Eurostat’s EDP notifications and the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) maintain tabulated "deficit ratios of EU member states" for 2021–2024 [10] [1]. The current reporting set provides aggregate EU/euro‑area figures and references to per‑country tables but does not include the full per‑country breakdown in the supplied excerpts — therefore precise, up‑to‑the‑decimal country deficits cannot be restated here without consulting the cited Destatis table or Eurostat’s EDP notifications [10] [1].
5. Implications, forecasts and final takeaways
The bloc‑level story is clear: aggregate deficits narrowed slightly into 2024 but remain around the 3% benchmark, with short‑term volatility and an institutional focus on returning to durable compliance while accommodating investment and defence‑related spending pressures that may push aggregate deficits modestly higher in 2025–2026 [1] [4] [7]. For authoritative, country‑by‑country percentages, Eurostat’s annual EDP data and the Destatis table provide the definitive published series referenced above and should be consulted for exact 2024 (and earlier) country deficit ratios [10] [1].