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 -6.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
Algeria -2.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
American Samoa -6.1% of GDP (2007)
Andorra -0.3% of GDP (2012)
Angola 3.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Anguilla -5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Antigua and Barbuda -0.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Argentina -3.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
Armenia -0.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Aruba -7.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Australia -1.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Austria -2.9% of GDP (2013 est.)
Azerbaijan 0.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Bahamas, The -8.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Bahrain -3.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
Bangladesh -4.9% of GDP (2013 est.)
Barbados -7% of GDP (2013 est.)
Belarus -0.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
Belgium -3.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
Belize 3.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Benin -1.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Bermuda -2.5% of GDP (FY11/12 est.)
Bhutan -2.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Bolivia 0.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1% of GDP (2013 est.)
Botswana 0.6% of GDP (2013 est.)
Brazil 1.6% of GDP (2013 est.)
British Virgin Islands 0% of GDP (2013 est.)
Brunei 9.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
Bulgaria -2.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Burkina Faso -3.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
Burma -3.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Burundi -3.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Cabo Verde -9.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
Cambodia -2.7% of GDP (2013 est.)
Cameroon -4.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Canada -2.9% of GDP (2013 est.)
Cayman Islands -2.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Central African Republic -4.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
Chad -5.9% of GDP (2013 est.)
Chile -1% of GDP (2013 est.)
China -2.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
Colombia 0.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Comoros 0.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the -3.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Congo, Republic of the 14% of GDP (2013 est.)
Cook Islands 1% of GDP (FY05/06)
Costa Rica -5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Cote d'Ivoire -3.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Croatia -4.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Cuba -3.7% of GDP (2013 est.)
Curacao -0.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Cyprus -5.7% of GDP (2013 est.)
Czech Republic -2.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
Denmark -2.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Djibouti -1.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Dominica -7.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Dominican Republic -3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Ecuador -2.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Egypt -13.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
El Salvador -4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Equatorial Guinea 0.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
Eritrea -13% of GDP (2013 est.)
Estonia -0.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Ethiopia -2.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) -5% of GDP (FY09/10)
Faroe Islands -11.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Fiji -2.6% of GDP (2013 est.)
Finland -2.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
France -4.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
French Polynesia 3.9% of GDP (1999)
Gabon -7.9% of GDP (2013 est.)
Gambia, The -4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Georgia -2.7% of GDP (2013 est.)
Germany 0.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
Ghana -9.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Gibraltar 2.1% of GDP (2008 est.)
Greece -4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Greenland 1.9% of GDP (2010)
Grenada -4.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Guam -3% of GDP (FY10/11 est.)
Guatemala -2.7% of GDP (2013 est.)
Guernsey 1.2% of GDP (2005)
Guinea -5.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
Guinea-Bissau -1.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
Guyana -6.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Haiti -5.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Honduras -6.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
Hong Kong 1.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
Hungary -2.9% 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, recognizing 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 (2013 est.)
Iceland -1.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
India -5.7% of GDP (2013 est.)
Indonesia -3.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Iran -4.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Iraq 0.9% of GDP (2013 est.)
Ireland -7.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
Isle of Man 0.5% of GDP (FY05/06 est.)
Israel -1.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Italy -3.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Jamaica -1.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
Japan -8.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
Jersey -0.4% of GDP (2005)
Jordan -11.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Kazakhstan -2.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Kenya -4.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
Kiribati -29.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
Korea, North -0.4% of GDP (2007 est.)
Korea, South 0.7% of GDP (2013 est.)
Kosovo -1.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
Kuwait 29.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
Kyrgyzstan -4.6% of GDP (2013 est.)
Laos -1.6% of GDP (2013 est.)
Latvia -0.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
Lebanon -9.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Lesotho -0.9% of GDP (2013 est.)
Liberia -2.9% of GDP (2013 est.)
Libya -0.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Liechtenstein -1.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
Lithuania -2% of GDP (2013 est.)
Luxembourg -1.7% of GDP (2013 est.)
Macau 23.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Macedonia -4.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
Madagascar -2.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Malawi -1.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Malaysia -4.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Maldives -12.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
Mali -0.7% of GDP (2013 est.)
Malta 5.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Marshall Islands 0.4% of GDP (FY09 est.)
Mauritania -0.6% of GDP (2013 est.)
Mauritius -1.9% of GDP (2013 est.)
Mexico -2.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Micronesia, Federated States of 1.5% of GDP (FY10/11 est.)
Moldova -1.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
Monaco -1.2% of GDP (2011 est.)
Mongolia -8.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
Montenegro 2.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Morocco -8% of GDP (2013 est.)
Mozambique -8.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
Namibia -6.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Nepal -3.1% of GDP (FY12/13)
Netherlands -3.3% of GDP (2014 est.)
New Caledonia NA% of GDP
New Zealand -1.9% of GDP (2013 est.)
Nicaragua -0.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Niger -2.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Nigeria -1.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Niue -12.6% of GDP (FY04/05)
Northern Mariana Islands -7.9% of GDP (FY10/11 est.)
Norway 13.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
Oman -1.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Pakistan -7.7% of GDP (2013 est.)
Palau -2.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Panama -2.6% of GDP (2013 est.)
Papua New Guinea -4.6% of GDP (2013 est.)
Paraguay -1.6% of GDP (2013 est.)
Peru 1% of GDP (2013 est.)
Philippines -1.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
Poland 0% of GDP (2013 est.)
Portugal -5.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
Puerto Rico -3.1% of GDP (FY99/00)
Qatar 9.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
Romania -2.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Russia -0.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Rwanda -4.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Saint Kitts and Nevis 4.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
Saint Lucia -2.7% of GDP (2011 est.)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon 4.6% of GDP (1996)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0% of GDP (2013 est.)
Samoa -6.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
San Marino -2.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Sao Tome and Principe -11.7% of GDP (2013 est.)
Saudi Arabia 6.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
Senegal -5.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Serbia -4.9% of GDP (2013 est.)
Seychelles 2% of GDP (2013 est.)
Sierra Leone -3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Singapore 1.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Slovakia -3.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Slovenia -4.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Solomon Islands 2.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
South Africa -4.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
South Sudan -15.5% of GDP (FY 2013 est.)
Spain -6.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
Sri Lanka -6.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Sudan -4.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Suriname -2.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Svalbard NA% of GDP
Swaziland -1.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
Sweden -2% of GDP (2013 est.)
Switzerland 1.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Syria -8% of GDP (2013 est.)
Taiwan -2.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Tajikistan 0% of GDP (2013 est.)
Tanzania -5.6% of GDP (2013 est.)
Thailand -4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Timor-Leste -1.6% of GDP (2013 est.)
Togo -3.7% of GDP (2013 est.)
Tonga 0% of GDP (2012 est.)
Trinidad and Tobago -1.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
Tunisia -7.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Turkey -2.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
Turkmenistan 1.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
Tuvalu -4% of GDP (2006)
Uganda -2.7% of GDP (2013 est.)
Ukraine -5.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
United Arab Emirates 5% of GDP (2013 est.)
United Kingdom -3.6% of GDP (2013 est.)
United States -4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Uruguay -2.6% of GDP (2013 est.)
Uzbekistan -0.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Vanuatu 0.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Venezuela -9.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
Vietnam -4.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
West Bank -16.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
World -3.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
Yemen -10.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Zambia -8.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Zimbabwe NA% of GDP