Greece has recorded the largest reduction in public debt among the 27 EU member states following the COVID-19 crisis, according to aggregate data released by Eurostat on Wednesday. Due to extraordinary fiscal expenditure and the recession caused by COVID-19, Greek debt rose in the first quarter of 2021 to 212.9% of GDP, more than double the European average, which stood at 91.5% at the time. However, by the end of 2025, the debt-to-GDP ratio had fallen to 146.1%. This result is attributed to prudent fiscal policy, which generated primary surpluses; the early repayment of loans under the first memorandum and of high-interest IMF loans; and strong growth rates that have boosted GDP. During the same period, the European average improved by just 9.8 percentage points. As a result, the gap between Greece and the EU narrowed to 64.4 points, compared with 121.4 points recorded in early 2021.The only country with comparable results is Cyprus, which improved its debt-to-GDP ratio by 62.5 percentage points between 2021 and 2025.The government’s economic team remains committed to further reducing debt to 140% of GDP by 2027 and to 120% by 2030. (ICE ATENE)

Fonte notizia: amna.gr