Slovenia last year with a lower deficit and public debt than the EU average

Luxembourg – Slovenia ended the year 2024 with a public finance deficit of 0.9 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), while public debt stood at 67 percent of GDP. As noted in the first estimate by the European statistical office Eurostat, the averages for both EU member states and the euro area are higher in both categories.

The public finance deficit in the euro area in 2024, according to Eurostat’s first estimate, was 3.1 percent of GDP, while in the EU it was 3.2 percent of GDP. All EU member states recorded a public finance deficit except for Denmark (+4.5 percent of GDP), Ireland and Cyprus (each +4.3 percent), Luxembourg (+1.0 percent), and Portugal (+0.7 percent).

The highest deficits were reported by Romania (-9.3 percent of GDP), Poland (-6.6 percent), France (-5.8 percent), and Slovakia (-5.3 percent). In 12 member states, the deficit was higher than three percent of GDP.

The total public debt of the 20 euro area countries at the end of 2024 was 87.4 percent of GDP, while the total public debt of the 27 EU member states was 81 percent of GDP.

The lowest public debt at the end of 2024 was held by Estonia (23.6 percent of GDP), Bulgaria (24.1 percent), and Luxembourg (26.3 percent). The highest was held by Greece (153.6 percent of GDP), Italy (135.3 percent), France (113 percent), and Spain (101.8 percent). (April 22)