Year-over-year change: -0.8 pp, trend down
5-year change: +17.6 pp, trend up
Kuwait
Fiscal balance (% of GDP): 27.6% of GDP
View MoreGovernment fiscal balance (surplus or deficit) as percentage of GDP
Global-5.2%of GDP
19802031
2026
Rankings at a glance
Highest 10 · Government fiscal balance (surplus or deficit) as percentage of GDP (2026)
With 27.58% of GDP in 2026, Kuwait is projected to lead the world in government fiscal balance (surplus or deficit) as percentage of GDP, followed by Nauru (13.12% of GDP) and Norway (10.17% of GDP). The top 5 is rounded off by Oman (5.24% of GDP) and the United Arab Emirates (4.89% of GDP). Further down, Macao (4.21% of GDP) and Lesotho (4.19% of GDP) hold the next two spots. Singapore (3.31% of GDP), Liechtenstein (3% of GDP), and Cyprus (2.64% of GDP) round out the top ten. Across the top ten, Kuwait would be 10× as high as Cyprus (2.64% of GDP). Six of the top ten are in Asia, with four from Western Asia. Among these countries, Nauru is projected to see the largest year-over-year change at +9.6 pp.
Rank changes
How government fiscal balance (surplus or deficit) as percentage of GDP changed between 2025 and 2026
2025and2026
Historical trends
Key terms
- GDP
- — Gross Domestic Product, the total value of goods and services produced in a country annually.
- GDP PPP
- — GDP adjusted for purchasing power parity, reflecting what money actually buys in each country.
- GDP per capita
- — GDP divided by population, a measure of average economic output per person.
- Inflation rate
- — Annual percentage increase in the general price level of goods and services.
- Fiscal balance
- — Government revenue minus expenditure. Surplus if positive, deficit if negative.
- Current account
- — Net flow of goods, services, and transfers with the rest of the world.
Frequently asked questions
- Which country has the highest government fiscal balance as percentage of GDP?
- Kuwait is projected to have the highest government fiscal balance as percentage of GDP at 27.6% of GDP in 2026, according to IMF World Economic Outlook.
- Which country has the lowest government fiscal balance as percentage of GDP?
- Timor-Leste is projected to have the lowest government fiscal balance as percentage of GDP at -51.6% of GDP in 2026, according to IMF World Economic Outlook.
- What is the global government fiscal balance as percentage of GDP?
- Weighted by the size of each economy, the global government fiscal balance as percentage of GDP is projected to be -5.2% of GDP in 2026, according to IMF World Economic Outlook.
