Greece posts big surplus

Greece posted a 2025 primary budget surplus of €12.13 billion, or 4.9% of gross domestic product, well above target. (ekathimerini.com) A primary surplus counts government revenue minus spending before interest payments on debt. Greece’s 2025 result beat the budget target of 3.7% of gross domestic product by about 1.2 percentage points. (en.protothema.gr) The figures were published on April 22 by the Hellenic Statistical Authority and confirmed through the European Union’s fiscal reporting cycle. On the same day, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis presented a €500 million support package tied to the stronger result. (statistics.gr, en.protothema.gr) The package includes a permanent €300 net payment each November for more pensioners, with income thresholds raised to €25,000 for singles and €35,000 for married couples. The government said the change expands eligibility by about 420,000 people, bringing total coverage to 1.87 million beneficiaries. (en.protothema.gr) It also broadens rent support, lifting the income cap to €25,000 for single tenants and €35,000 plus €5,000 per child for married couples. Officials said about 1.02 million tenants would qualify, and roughly 50,000 doctors and nurses would receive two rent payments without income criteria. (en.protothema.gr) The surplus lands after years of fiscal repair in a country that spent the last decade under intense market and European Union scrutiny. The European Commission said in its November 2025 forecast that Greece’s debt ratio was expected to fall from 147.6% of gross domestic product in 2025 to 142.1% in 2026 and below 140% in 2027. (economy-finance.ec.europa.eu) Growth has held up alongside that tightening. The European Commission projected Greece’s economy would expand 2.1% in 2025 and 2.2% in 2026, with investment supported by European Union recovery funds and consumption still contributing. (economy-finance.ec.europa.eu) Households are still facing higher prices. Eurostat said Greece’s harmonized inflation rate was 3.4% in March 2026, above the euro area’s 2.6%, while ELSTAT’s homepage showed Greece’s national inflation reading at 3.9%. (ec.europa.eu, statistics.gr) Tourism, one of Greece’s main growth engines, is still bringing in visitors but also operating in a costlier environment. ELSTAT said February 2026 arrivals at hotels, campsites and short-stay accommodation rose 2.4% to 811,585, while overnight stays increased 1.7% to 1,764,853. (tovima.com) The next test is whether the government can keep posting large surpluses while financing new aid and absorbing higher living costs. For now, the April 22 data gave Athens room to spend — and a fresh benchmark for how much room remains. (en.protothema.gr, economy-finance.ec.europa.eu)