Government net lending/borrowing in Qatar

International Monetary Fund · Annual · Importance

IMF forecast (WEO): 2026: -3.4% 2027: -4.8% 2028: -4.7% 2029: -0.4% 2030: 1.8% 2031: 2.9%

-4.4 (1999) ANUAL · % of GDP · Annual · CSV

Period	% of GDP
Jan 1999	-4.4
Jan 1998	-7.0
Jan 1997	-9.4
Jan 1996	-8.7
Jan 1995	-5.8
Jan 1994	-11.8
Jan 1993	-9.5
Jan 1992	-2.7
Jan 1991	-2.6
Jan 1990	3.2

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

Measures the balance of Qatar's government accounts: a surplus when revenue exceeds spending, a deficit when the reverse holds. Published by the Ministry of Finance and usually expressed as a percentage of GDP.

How it's calculated

Calculated as the gap between central government revenue and spending under the IMF government finance statistics framework, and expressed relative to GDP. Revenue depends overwhelmingly on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and oil exports.

Market implications

Qatar's fiscal balance is essentially a mirror of gas and oil prices. High prices generate large surpluses that feed the sovereign wealth fund; low prices open deficits covered by reserves or debt. Expanding LNG capacity reinforces its fiscal room.

Limitations

It is a low-frequency, highly volatile series driven by hydrocarbons. Budgets are typically built on conservative oil-price assumptions, so the outturn can diverge sharply from the budgeted figure.