Overview of the Deficit And Debt History for Euro Zone (2000-2010)

The next two chart give a great overview of the government finances in the first decade of this century in the Euro Zone. It also shows which countries broke the rules of the Stability and Growth Pact. Which says countries can't have deficits higher than three percent and debt higher than sixty percent, both as a percentage of GDP.


Before the crisis Ireland, Spain, Estonia, Luxembourgh and Finland were the only countries that never broke the rules. Especially notice France and Germany, which both had a debt higher than 60% every year since 2003. France had a deficit higher than 3% for 2002-2004 and Germany for 2001-2005.


This chart shows the deficits per year for all the Euro Zone countries from 2000-2010.

This chart shows how the government debt changed per year for all the Euro Zone countries from 2000-2010.

Macrobusiness

Number Of Times Euro Zone Countries Have Broken The SGP

This graph from the Dutch 2012 budget which has been presented yesterday by the finance minister shows an interesting insight in the number times countries have violated the Stability And Growth Pact. The Stability and Growth Pact says that countries in the Euro Zone can have a budget deficit of at max 3 percent and a maximum government debt of 60 percent. Greece has, as you might have guessed broken the SGP the most times, but Ireland and Spain are, maybe surprisingly, clear winners.

Translation: Saldo (dark green = deficit) and Schuld (light green = debt).

Countries: Belgie = Belgium, Ierland = Ireland, Spanje = Spain, Nederland = Netherlands, Duitsland = Germany, Franrkijk = France, Italie = Italy, Portugal = Griekenland.