In 2012, the government deficit of both the euro area (EA17) and the EU27 decreased in absolute terms compared with 2011, while the government debt rose in both zones. In the euro area the government deficit to GDP ratio decreased from 4.2% in 20113 to 3.7% in 2012, and in the EU27 from 4.4% to 4.0%. In the euro area the government debt to GDP ratio increased from 87.3% at the end of 2011 to 90.6% at the end of 2012, and in the EU27 from 82.5% to 85.3% In 2012 the lowest government deficits in percentage of GDP were recorded in Estonia (-0.3%), Sweden (-0.5%), Bulgaria and Luxembourg (both -0.8%) and Latvia (-1.2%), ... (full story)