Government budget balance

What governments collect minus what they spend, as a share of GDP: below zero is a deficit.

The budget balance is a country's government revenue minus its spending, interest included, as a share of GDP. Above zero is a surplus; below zero is a deficit, which the government covers by borrowing, so its debt grows. It covers central, state and local government and social security funds together. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) publishes it in its World Economic Outlook. We show past years only and leave out the IMF's forecasts; the latest year can still be an IMF estimate.

• Economy
• Public finance
• Budget deficit
• IMF
• Country
• Year