Government; Government balance and debt 1995-2017

This table shows the evolution of the government balance and debt (also known as EMU balance and EMU debt) in the Netherlands. EMU stands for Economic and Monetary Union. This table provides annual and quarterly estimates of the general government, broken down by the contribution per subsector of the general government. In addition, this table sets out the reconciliation between the general government balance and the changes in nominal government debt. The public balance and public debt are the main indicators for the health of public finances within the European Union. The Maastricht Treaty and the resulting Growth and Stability Pact stipulate that Member States should report to the European Commission data on their government’s balance and debt every six months. This stipulates that a deficit should not exceed 3 % of gross domestic product (GDP) and debt should not exceed 60 % of GDP. If the standards are exceeded and do not give rise to special circumstances, the European Commission may impose sanctions. The figures are in line with the system of the National Accounts. There may be minor temporary differences with the publications of the National Accounts due to the fact that the published figures of the government accounts are sometimes more current. Data available from: Annual data from 1995 to 2017, quarterly data from 1999 to 2017. Status of the figures: The figures in this table are definitive for the period 1995-2014. The quarters of 2015 have the status for now. The 2015 annual figures are final. The 2016 and 2017 figures have the status for now. As this table has been discontinued, the data will no longer be definitive. Changes as of 22 June 2018: None, this table has been discontinued. When are new figures coming? No longer applicable. This table is followed by government balance and public debt; public sector. See paragraph 3.