(Sir Europe – Brussels) – In the document released by Eurostat on EU member states’ budgets at the end of 2011, figures show that the largest deficit was recorded in Ireland (13.1% of GDP), a country where the economic crisis continues to have a severe impact both on the economic system and on families. Ireland is followed by Greece (9.1%), Spain (8.5%), the United Kingdom (8.3) and, always with a deficit above 5%, by Slovenia, Cyprus, Lithuania, France, Romania and Poland. The lowest deficits were recorded in Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, Hungary, Estonia and Sweden (the last three even registered a government surplus). The highest ratios of government debt to GDP were recorded in Greece (165.3%) and Italy (120.1%). The figures for Ireland and Portugal are also above 100%, while Belgium is just under this figure. The ratio for France and the United Kingdom, that are also suffering from the crisis, is just over 85%, while that for Germany is 81%. No problems with regard to public debt in Estonia, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Romania and Sweden.

23/04/2012 -