European Union - Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP)

Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP) in European Union was -0.624 as of 2019. Its highest value over the past 46 years was 0.576 in 1973, while its lowest value was -6.360 in 1995.

Definition: Net lending (+) / net borrowing (–) equals government revenue minus expense, minus net investment in nonfinancial assets. It is also equal to the net result of transactions in financial assets and liabilities. Net lending/net borrowing is a summary measure indicating the extent to which government is either putting financial resources at the disposal of other sectors in the economy or abroad, or utilizing the financial resources generated by other sectors in the economy or from abroad.

Source: International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files.

See also:

Year Value
1973 0.576
1974 -0.244
1975 -2.635
1976 -1.540
1977 -1.383
1978 -2.106
1979 -2.416
1980 -2.615
1981 -2.388
1982 -2.997
1983 -2.960
1984 -2.661
1985 -2.537
1986 -3.539
1987 -3.496
1988 -2.659
1989 -2.085
1990 -1.614
1991 -2.209
1992 -2.835
1993 -4.259
1994 -3.851
1995 -6.360
1996 -3.581
1997 -2.474
1998 -2.005
1999 -1.347
2000 -1.022
2001 -1.500
2002 -2.195
2003 -2.668
2004 -2.297
2005 -2.141
2006 -1.309
2007 -0.665
2008 -1.393
2009 -4.654
2010 -4.910
2011 -3.115
2012 -2.719
2013 -2.358
2014 -1.971
2015 -1.645
2016 -1.295
2017 -1.086
2018 -0.617
2019 -0.624

Limitations and Exceptions: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Despite IMF efforts to standardize data collection, statistics are often incomplete, untimely, and not comparable across countries.

Statistical Concept and Methodology: The IMF's Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014, harmonized with the 2008 SNA, recommends an accrual accounting method, focusing on all economic events affecting assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses, not just those represented by cash transactions. It accounts for all changes in stocks, so stock data at the end of an accounting period equal stock data at the beginning of the period plus flows over the period. The 1986 manual considered only debt stocks. Government finance statistics are reported in local currency. Many countries report government finance data by fiscal year; see country metadata for information on fiscal year end by country.

Aggregation method: Weighted average

Periodicity: Annual

Classification

Topic: Public Sector Indicators

Sub-Topic: Government finance