Data / Rankings / Government balance / EU countries

EU countries by government balance as a share of GDP

Denmark had the highest government balance as a share of GDP of 27 EU countries in 2023, at 3.4% of GDP. Italy had the lowest, at -7.1% of GDP. The median was -2.6% of GDP and the figure for the European Union (27) was -3.4% of GDP. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

Highest3.4Denmark
Lowest-7.1Italy
Median-2.627 EU countries
European Union (27)-3.4History

All EU countries, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

DenmarkDenmark: 3.4 % of GDP3.4CyprusCyprus: 1.7 % of GDP1.7IrelandIreland: 1.4 % of GDP1.4PortugalPortugal: 1.1 % of GDP1.1NetherlandsNetherlands: -0.4 % of GDP-0.4LithuaniaLithuania: -0.7 % of GDP-0.7LuxembourgLuxembourg: -0.7 % of GDP-0.7SwedenSweden: -0.9 % of GDP-0.9CroatiaCroatia: -1.1 % of GDP-1.1GreeceGreece: -1.4 % of GDP-1.4BulgariaBulgaria: -2 % of GDP-2LatviaLatvia: -2.3 % of GDP-2.3GermanyGermany: -2.5 % of GDP-2.5AustriaAustria: -2.6 % of GDP-2.6SloveniaSlovenia: -2.6 % of GDP-2.6EstoniaEstonia: -2.7 % of GDP-2.7FinlandFinland: -2.9 % of GDP-2.9SpainSpain: -3.3 % of GDP-3.3CzechiaCzechia: -3.7 % of GDP-3.7BelgiumBelgium: -4.1 % of GDP-4.1MaltaMalta: -4.4 % of GDP-4.4PolandPoland: -5.2 % of GDP-5.2SlovakiaSlovakia: -5.3 % of GDP-5.3FranceFrance: -5.4 % of GDP-5.4RomaniaRomania: -6.6 % of GDP-6.6HungaryHungary: -7 % of GDP-7ItalyItaly: -7.1 % of GDP-7.1
% of GDP. Source: Eurostat. Retrieved 2026-10-07.

Full ranking

RankEU countries2023
% of GDP		Change on 2022
1Denmark3.40 pts
2Cyprus1.7-1 pts
3Ireland1.4-0.2 pts
4Portugal1.1+1.4 pts
5Netherlands-0.4-0.4 pts
6Lithuania-0.70 pts
6Luxembourg-0.7-0.9 pts
8Sweden-0.9-1.9 pts
9Croatia-1.1-1.1 pts
10Greece-1.4+1.2 pts
11Bulgaria-2+0.9 pts
12Latvia-2.3+2.6 pts
13Germany-2.5-0.6 pts
14Austria-2.6+0.8 pts
14Slovenia-2.6+0.4 pts
16Estonia-2.7-1.8 pts
17Finland-2.9-2.7 pts
18Spain-3.3+1.3 pts
19Czechia-3.7-0.6 pts
20Belgium-4.1-0.6 pts
21Malta-4.4+0.9 pts
22Poland-5.2-1.8 pts
23Slovakia-5.3-3.7 pts
24France-5.4-0.7 pts
25Romania-6.6-0.1 pts
26Hungary-7-0.8 pts
27Italy-7.1+1 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

General government net lending (+) or net borrowing (-) as a percentage of GDP.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the EU countries are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Eurostat. Government deficit and debt, net lending or borrowing (gov_10dd_edpt1). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/gov_10dd_edpt1/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-07.

Use this data in your AI agent

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Rank EU countries by government balance as a share of GDP using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"government_deficit","level":"country","within":"European Union (27)","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=government_deficit&level=country&within=European%20Union%20(27)&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

Which EU country has the highest government balance as a share of GDP?

Denmark, with 3.4% of GDP in 2023, according to Eurostat, European Commission.

Which EU country has the lowest government balance as a share of GDP?

Italy, with -7.1% of GDP in 2023.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Eurostat, European Commission, Government deficit and debt, net lending or borrowing (gov_10dd_edpt1). Retrieved 2026-10-07.

EU countries: more rankings