Government net lending/borrowing in Argentina

International Monetary Fund · Annual · Importance

IMF forecast (WEO): 2026: 0.5% 2027: 0.4% 2028: 0.3% 2029: 0.8% 2030: 1.1% 2031: 1.3%

-3.7 (1999) ANUAL · % of GDP · Annual · CSV

Period	% of GDP
Jan 1999	-3.7
Jan 1998	-1.8
Jan 1997	-1.8
Jan 1996	-2.8
Jan 1995	-2.1
Jan 1994	-1.2
Jan 1993	0.0

About this indicator

Source

International Monetary Fund

Frequency

Annual

Release

Published annually (with quarterly advance estimates in some economies), subject to revision with the national accounts.

What it is

Argentina's government deficit is the negative balance of the public accounts when spending exceeds revenue in a year; when revenue exceeds spending there is a surplus. It is usually expressed as a percentage of GDP.

How it's calculated

It is calculated as the difference between the public sector's non-financial revenue and expenditure, following government finance statistics methodology. In Argentina both the overall fiscal result and the Treasury's primary balance are closely watched.

Market implications

The deficit drives financing needs and public debt, an especially sensitive issue in Argentina given its record of debt strains and high inflation. Meeting fiscal targets is central to its IMF programmes and to the peso.

Limitations

It is a low-frequency reading subject to revision. It is worth distinguishing the headline balance from the primary balance (which excludes interest) and from the cyclical component; Argentina's high inflation also complicates real comparisons across periods.