Government; Balance and Maastricht debt, sectors

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This table shows data on the balance and Maastricht debt of general government. These figures are also known as EMU-balance and EMU-debt (EMU stands for the Economic and Monetary Union). In this table, yearly and quarterly figures are subdivided to subsectors of general government. Furthermore, this table shows the relation between the government balance and change in Maastricht debt.

Balance and debt are the most import indicators for the healthiness of government finances in the European Union. In the Maastricht treaty and the consequent Stability and Growth Pact, it was decided that government deficit may not exceed 3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and Maastricht debt may not be higher than 60 percent of GDP. If government deficit exceeds the threshold of 3 percent, the member state in question shall be subject to the excessive deficit procedure.

The terms and definitions used are in accordance with the framework of the national accounts. The national accounts are based on the international definitions of the European System of Accounts (ESA 2010). However, Maastricht debt is valued at face value whereas debt instruments in national accounts are valued at market value. Maastricht debt covers the following debt instruments: deposits, short term debt securities, long term debt securities, short term loans and long term loans.

Small temporary differences in data in this table with publications of the national accounts may occur due to the fact that the government finance statistics are sometimes more up to date.

Data available from:
Yearly figures from 1995, quarterly figures from 1999.

Status of the figures:
The figures for the period 1995-2020 are final. The quarterly figures for 2021 are provisional. The annual figures for 2021 are final. The figures for 2022 and 2023 are provisional.

Changes as of 25 March 2024:
Figures on the fourth quarter of 2023 and annual figures on 2023 are available.
The figures for the first three quarters of 2023 have been adjusted.

When will new figures be published?
Provisional quarterly figures are published three months after the end of the quarter. In September the figures on the first quarter may be revised, in December the figures on the second quarter may be revised and in March the first three quarters may be revised. Yearly figures are published for the first time three months after the end of the year concerned. Yearly figures are revised two times: 6 and 18 months after the end of the year. Please note that there is a possibility that adjustments might take place at the end of March or September, in order to provide the European Commission with the latest figures. Revised yearly figures are published in June each year. Quarterly figures are aligned to revised years at the end of June. More information on the revision policy of Dutch national accounts and government finance statistics can be found under 'relevant articles' under paragraph 3.

Description topics

Balance and debt (million euros)
Balance and Maastricht debt in million euros.

Balance and consolidated debt (valued at face value) excluding other accounts payable and debt on financial derivatives, in million euros.

Balance of revenue and expenditure of the government sector. In national accounts it equals net lending/net borrowing of the government sector.

Government debt is consolidated, which means that debt in the same sector has been eliminated.
Structure of balance
Balance of revenue and expenditure of the government sector.
Balance
Balance of revenue and expenditure of the government sector. A positive figure indicates a surplus, a negative figure indicates a deficit. In national accounts it equals net lending/net borrowing of the government sector.
Revenue
Revenue of the government sector consists of taxes and social contributions, production revenue, other current revenue, and received capital transfers.

The time of recording is on an accrual basis.
Expenditure (-)
Expenditure of the government sector consists of intermediate consumption, compensation of employees, interest, social benefits and social transfers in kind via market production, other current expenditure, and capital expenditure.

The time of recording is on an accrual basis.
Maastricht debt
Consolidated debt of the government sector (valued at face value) excluding other accounts payable and debt on financial derivatives. Consolidated means that debt in the same sector has been eliminated.
Structure of change in Maastricht debt
Increase or decrease of Maastricht debt. The change in Maastricht debt consists of the deficit or surplus, changes in financials assets and liabilities and an unexplained residual, the statistical discrepancy.
Change in Maastricht debt
Increase or decrease of Maastricht debt. The change in Maastricht debt consists of the deficit or surplus, changes in financials assets and liabilities and an unexplained residual, the statistical discrepancy.
Deficit (EMU)
Negative balance of revenue and expenditure of the government. It equals the balance, however with an opposite sign. A positive figure indicates a deficit, a negative figure indicates a surplus.
Net acquisition of financial assets
Transactions in financial assets are changes in currency and deposits, debt securities, loans, equity, financial derivatives and other accounts receivable, which are economic flows between units by mutual agreement.
Transactions in other liabilities (-)
Transactions in financial liabilities that are not part of Maastricht debt. Transaction are economic flows between units by mutual agreement.

Transactions in liabilities that are not part of the Maastricht debt definition. They are:
- Equity.
- Financial derivatives.
- Other accounts payable.
Valuation effects
Changes in Maastricht debt that are the result in changes of value, for instance due to currency changes.
Statistical discrepancy (-)
Difference between the balance of revenue and expenditure (+) and the balance of transactions in financial assets and liabilities (-).

Theoretically, both balances are equal. However, in practice differences occur, for instance due to the use of different data sources.