Middle Eastern and North Africa Compared by Economy > Budget surplus > + or deficit > -
DEFINITION:
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.
CONTENTS
# | COUNTRY | AMOUNT | DATE | GRAPH | HISTORY |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kuwait | 31.7% of GDP | 2012 | ||
2 | Libya | 27.7% of GDP | 2012 | ||
3 | Qatar | 14.4% of GDP | 2012 | ||
4 | Saudi Arabia | 13.1% of GDP | 2012 | ||
5 | United Arab Emirates | 7.2% of GDP | 2012 | ||
6 | Iraq | 7% of GDP | 2012 | ||
7 | Oman | -0.3% of GDP | 2012 | ||
8 | Bahrain | -2.3% of GDP | 2012 | ||
9 | Iran | -2.4% of GDP | 2012 | ||
10 | Tunisia | -2.7% of GDP | 2012 | ||
11 | Israel | -4% of GDP | 2012 | ||
12 | Algeria | -4.7% of GDP | 2012 | ||
13 | Yemen | -7.2% of GDP | 2012 | ||
14 | Morocco | -8.4% of GDP | 2012 | ||
15 | Lebanon | -9.6% of GDP | 2012 | ||
16 | Jordan | -9.8% of GDP | 2012 | ||
17 | Egypt | -10.9% of GDP | 2012 | ||
18 | Syria | -11.4% of GDP | 2012 |