Greek FinMin says latest statistics enhance the country's credibility
Greek Finance Minister Christos Staikouras on Thursday welcomed data released by the country's statistics agency showing lower fiscal deficit and public debt, and said these positive developments significantly enhanced the country's credibility while at the same time allowed the government to continue the support of households and enterprises hit by higher energy prices.
In a statement, Staikouras said that the statistical data proved the correctness and efficiency of the government's economic policy throughout the period of extended and severe crises, focusing on fundamentaly support citizens' available income without excessively burdening the state budget. On the contrary, the figures showed a significant improvement in the public debt.
Specifically, households' available income grew by 3.7 billion euros in 2021 compared with 2019, while bank deposits grew by 37 billion euros by the end of 2021. The state budget's primary deficit fell to 5% of GDP in 2021, down from a budget target for a deficit of 7%, while the country's public debt fell to 193.3% of GDP in 2021 from 206.3% in 2020.
