Greece posts budget surplus exceeding target in first half of 2026

Preliminary data from Greece's Ministry of Economy and Finance indicates that the state budget for the first half of 2026 is performing better than anticipated. The budget deficit for the period January-June 2026 stood at 941 million euros, significantly lower than the projected deficit of 3.14 billion euros. This represents an overperformance compared to the target.

Furthermore, the primary balance, which excludes interest payments, showed a surplus of 4.48 billion euros. This also exceeded the targeted primary surplus of 1.95 billion euros for the same period. The primary balance in fiscal terms differs from the cash-based result.

Net revenues for the first six months of 2026 amounted to 35.995 billion euros, surpassing the introductory budget report's target by 1.063 billion euros. This figure includes 1.258 billion euros from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), with the majority collected in April and the remainder expected within the year. Excluding the RRF amount, net revenues increased by 1.437 billion euros against the target.

Tax revenues reached 33.919 billion euros. This total includes 306 million euros from the Egnatia Motorway concession agreement and 135 million euros from the second installment for the Elliniko casino license. Excluding these specific items, tax revenues were 33.478 billion euros, representing a 2.1% increase over the target.