The public deficit increased both in the euro area and in the European Union in 2019 compared to 2018, but only two Member States had deficits equal to or greater than 3% of GDP: France (3% of GDP) and Romania (4.3% of GDP), shows preliminary data for 2019 published by Eurostat.

According to the data, in the euro area the government deficit increased from 0.5% of GDP in 2018 to 0.6% of GDP in 2019, while in the EU27 it increased last year to 0.6% of GDP, from to 0.4% of GDP in 2018, according to Agerpres.

For Romania, Eurostat data shows that the government deficit has increased from 2.9% of GDP in 2018 to 4.3% of GDP in 2019, given that government spending has increased from 34.8% of GDP in 2018 up to 36% of GDP in 2019, and revenues fell slightly to 31.7% of GDP in 2019, compared to 31.9% of GDP, as recorded in 2018.