Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP) in Euro area
Euro area: Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP) was -2.7% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in Euro area, 1972–2024
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in Euro area is -2.7%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 16.9% on the previous year and down 15.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in Euro area peaked at 0.8% in 1972 and was at its lowest, -6.7%, in 2020.
That places Euro area 9th out of 26 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP) in Euro area, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 0.8% | — |
| 1973 | 0.4% | -54.7% |
| 1974 | -0.4% | -195.6% |
| 1975 | -2.9% | +686.2% |
| 1976 | -1.8% | -36.0% |
| 1977 | -1.6% | -14.0% |
| 1978 | -2.3% | +42.9% |
| 1979 | -2.4% | +8.3% |
| 1980 | -2.6% | +5.7% |
| 1981 | -2.2% | -13.0% |
| 1982 | -2.9% | +29.4% |
| 1983 | -2.8% | -3.1% |
| 1984 | -2.7% | -2.9% |
| 1985 | -2.7% | -2.8% |
| 1986 | -3.9% | +48.1% |
| 1987 | -4.1% | +4.6% |
| 1988 | -3.2% | -22.7% |
| 1989 | -2.6% | -18.1% |
| 1990 | -2.0% | -24.7% |
| 1991 | -2.4% | +20.7% |
| 1992 | -2.8% | +17.8% |
| 1993 | -4.0% | +41.9% |
| 1994 | -3.6% | -9.1% |
| 1995 | -5.6% | +56.2% |
| 1996 | -3.5% | -37.0% |
| 1997 | -1.8% | -48.6% |
| 1998 | -1.3% | -29.4% |
| 1999 | -0.6% | -53.3% |
| 2000 | -0.3% | -48.3% |
| 2001 | -0.5% | +73.4% |
| 2002 | -1.8% | +228.0% |
| 2003 | -2.2% | +25.6% |
| 2004 | -2.1% | -5.2% |
| 2005 | -1.9% | -7.8% |
| 2006 | -1.1% | -45.5% |
| 2007 | -0.5% | -50.3% |
| 2008 | -1.7% | +215.1% |
| 2009 | -5.2% | +212.0% |
| 2010 | -5.1% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | -3.2% | -37.4% |
| 2012 | -3.5% | +8.9% |
| 2013 | -2.9% | -16.9% |
| 2014 | -2.4% | -18.5% |
| 2015 | -1.9% | -18.8% |
| 2016 | -1.7% | -13.8% |
| 2017 | -1.3% | -22.1% |
| 2018 | -0.7% | -44.4% |
| 2019 | -0.7% | -8.2% |
| 2020 | -6.7% | +917.5% |
| 2021 | -5.2% | -21.9% |
| 2022 | -3.6% | -31.1% |
| 2023 | -3.3% | -8.7% |
| 2024 | -2.7% | -16.9% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP) in Euro area changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -917.5% | -0.7% | -6.7% |
| 1975 | -686.2% | -0.4% | -2.9% |
| 2002 | -228.0% | -0.5% | -1.8% |
| 2008 | -215.1% | -0.5% | -1.7% |
| 2009 | -212.0% | -1.7% | -5.2% |
| 1974 | -195.6% | 0.4% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -1.3% | -2.9% | 0.8% | 8 |
| 1980s | -3.0% | -4.1% | -2.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | -2.8% | -5.6% | -0.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | -1.7% | -5.2% | -0.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | -2.3% | -5.1% | -0.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | -4.3% | -6.7% | -2.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Euro area
More public sector data for Euro area
- Arms imports 6.08 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 9.21 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0002 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 41.65 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 3.29 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 806.84 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0174 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 16.6 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 288.53 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 819.39 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in Euro area?
- Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in Euro area was -2.7% in 2024, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) recorded in Euro area?
- The highest recorded value was 0.8% in 1972.
- What is the lowest net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) recorded in Euro area?
- The lowest recorded value was -6.7% in 2020.
- How does Euro area rank for net lending (+) / net borrowing (-)?
- Euro area ranks 9th out of 26 groups with data for 2024.
- Is net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) rising or falling in Euro area?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Euro area data come from?
- The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.