Country clocks up deficit of 5.8% of GDP in 2020

  • Lusa
  • 21 October 2021

Portugal's public deficit stood at 5.8% of GDP, which compares with a surplus of 0.1% recorded in 2019.

The public deficit rose to 7.2% of GDP in the eurozone and 6.9% in the European Union in 2020 compared to the previous year, with all 27 member states showing negative balances in public accounts, according to Eurostat.

The European statistics office points to measures taken to combat the pandemic as the cause of the rises in deficits in the general government accounts.

In the eurozone, the public deficit increased from 0.6% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019 to 7.2% in 2020 and in the EU the worsening was from a deficit of 0.5% to 6.9% of GDP.

In 2020, all member states showed negative balances in their general government accounts, with the highest deficit figures being recorded in Spain (11.0% of GDP), Greece (10.1%), Malta (9.7%) and Romania (9.4%).

Among the 27, only Denmark (0.2%) and Sweden (2.8%) had a deficit below 3% of GDP.

Portugal’s deficit figure was 5.8% of GDP, which compares with a surplus of 0.1% recorded in 2019.

EU budget rules – which have been suspended until 2022 (inclusive) due to the pandemic – stipulate a 3% of GDP limit on the deficit.