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 -14.7% of GDP (FY09/10 est.)
Albania -3.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
Algeria -1.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
American Samoa -6.1% of GDP (FY07)
Angola 7.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
Anguilla 0.2% of GDP (2009 est.)
Antigua and Barbuda -5.8% of GDP (2009 est.)
Argentina 0.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Armenia -4.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Aruba -1.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Australia -3.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Austria -4.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
Azerbaijan -14.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Bahamas, The -4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Bahrain -5.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Bangladesh -4.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Barbados -8.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
Belarus -2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Belgium -4.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Belize -3.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Benin -3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Bhutan -6.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Bolivia 2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Bosnia and Herzegovina -4.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Botswana -7% of GDP (2010 est.)
Brazil 2.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
British Virgin Islands 0% of GDP (2010 est.)
Brunei -1.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Bulgaria -4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Burkina Faso -5.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Burma -3.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
Burundi -6.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
Cambodia -5.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Cameroon -2.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
Canada -5.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Cape Verde -13.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
Cayman Islands -7.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Central African Republic -0.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
Chad -11.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Chile -0.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
China -1.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Colombia -2.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
Comoros -1.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the 2.4% of GDP (2006 est.)
Congo, Republic of the 7.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
Cook Islands 1% of GDP (FY05/06)
Costa Rica -5.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Cote d'Ivoire -2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Croatia -4.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
Cuba -4.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Curacao -0.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Cyprus -5.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Czech Republic -4.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
Denmark -2.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Djibouti -0.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
Dominica 9.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Dominican Republic -2.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
Ecuador -3.7% of GDP (2011 est.)
Egypt -8% of GDP (2010 est.)
El Salvador -4.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Equatorial Guinea -1.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
Eritrea -15.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Estonia 0.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
Ethiopia -1.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) -1.6% of GDP (FY98/99)
Faroe Islands 1% of GDP (2006)
Fiji -3.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Finland -2.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
France -7% of GDP (2010 est.)
French Polynesia 3.6% of GDP (1999)
Gabon 4.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Gambia, The -2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Georgia -6.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Germany -3.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Ghana -7.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Gibraltar 2.1% of GDP (2008 est.)
Greece -10.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Greenland -2% of GDP (2007)
Grenada -6% of GDP (2009 est.)
Guam -3.9% of GDP (2002 est.)
Guatemala -3.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Guernsey 1.2% of GDP (2005)
Guinea -14.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Guinea-Bissau -2.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Guyana -3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Haiti -2.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
Honduras -4.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
Hong Kong 2.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Hungary -4.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Iceland -7.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
India -5.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Indonesia -1.9% of GDP (2011 est.)
Iran 6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Iraq 5.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Ireland -32.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Isle of Man 0.8% of GDP (FY05/06 est.)
Israel -3.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
Italy -4.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Jamaica -6.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Japan -8.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
Jersey -0.4% of GDP (2005)
Jordan -7.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Kazakhstan -2.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Kenya -6.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Kiribati -2.8% of GDP (FY05)
Korea, North -0.4% of GDP (2007 est.)
Korea, South 1.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Kosovo -2.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Kuwait 14% of GDP (2010 est.)
Kyrgyzstan -5.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
Laos -3.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Latvia -7.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
Lebanon -7.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Lesotho -9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Liberia -0.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
Libya 4.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Liechtenstein 2.4% of GDP (2008 est.)
Lithuania -7.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
Luxembourg -1.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Macau 23.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Macedonia -2.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
Madagascar -2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Malawi 1% of GDP (2010 est.)
Malaysia -5.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Maldives -15.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
Mali -2.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Malta -3.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Marshall Islands NA% of GDP
Mauritania -3.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
Mauritius -4.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Mexico -2.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
Micronesia, Federated States of 5.6% of GDP (FY07 est.)
Moldova -2.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
Mongolia 1.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Morocco -4.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
Mozambique -5.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
Namibia -6.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
Nepal -10.1% of GDP (FY10)
Netherlands -5.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
New Caledonia -2.3% of GDP (2001 est.)
New Zealand -4.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Nicaragua -0.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Niger -8.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Nigeria -3.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Niue -12.6 (FY04/05)
Northern Mariana Islands -4.7% of GDP (FY01/02)
Norway 11.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
Oman -0.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Pakistan -6.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Palau 9.3% of GDP (2008 est.)
Panama -1.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Papua New Guinea 0.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
Paraguay 0.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Peru -0.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Philippines -3.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
Poland -3.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Portugal -9.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Puerto Rico -3.1% of GDP (FY99/00)
Qatar 16.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Romania -6.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Russia -4.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rwanda -0.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Saint Kitts and Nevis 0% of GDP (2010 est.)
Saint Lucia 10% of GDP (2010 est.)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines -6.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Samoa -14.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
San Marino -3.8% of GDP (2009)
Sao Tome and Principe -3.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Saudi Arabia 6.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
Senegal -5.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Serbia -4.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Seychelles 2.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
Sierra Leone -7.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Singapore 0.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Slovakia -7.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Slovenia -5.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Solomon Islands 3.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
South Africa -4.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
Spain -9.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Sri Lanka -7.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Sudan -3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Suriname -0.9% of GDP (2004)
Swaziland -15.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Sweden -0.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Switzerland 0.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
Syria -4.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Taiwan -3.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Tajikistan 0.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Tanzania -6.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
Thailand -1.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Togo -1.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Tonga 0% of GDP (2010 est.)
Trinidad and Tobago -2.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Tunisia -4.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Turkey -3.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Turkmenistan -0.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Tuvalu -4.7% of GDP (2006)
Uganda -3.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
Ukraine -7.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
United Arab Emirates -2.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
United Kingdom -10.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
United States -8.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
Uruguay -1.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Uzbekistan 0.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Vanuatu 0.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
Venezuela -5.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
Vietnam -5.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
West Bank -18.5% of GDP (2010)
World -5.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Yemen 1.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Zambia -3.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Zimbabwe NA% of GDP (2010 est.)