Covid-19: Government debt up to 86.3% of GDP in euro area

At the end of the first quarter of 2020, the quarter in which COVID-19 containment measures began to be widely

introduced by Member States, the government debt to GDP ratio in the euro area stood at 86.3%, compared with

84.1% at the end of the fourth quarter of 2019.

In the EU, the ratio increased from 77.7% to 79.5%. These data are released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

Compared with the first quarter 2019, the government debt to GDP ratio fell in both the euro area (from 86.4% to 86.3%) and the EU (from 80.0% to 79.5%).

The impacts of the containment measures as well as policy responses to the containment measures are expected to materialise fully in increased financing needs only in the second quarter of 2020.

Loans made up 15,5%

At the end of the first quarter of 2020, debt securities accounted for 80.9% of euro area and for 80.6% of EU

general government debt. Loans made up 15.5% and 15.9% respectively and currency and deposits represented

3.5% of euro area and 3.4% of EU government debt.

Due to the involvement of EU Member States’ governments in financial assistance to certain Member States, quarterly data on intergovernmental lending (IGL) is also published.

The share of IGL as percentage of GDP at the end of the first quarter of 2020 amounted to 1.9% in the euro area and to 1.6% in the EU.