Figure 2.  European Union:  General Government Budget Positions
(In percent of GDP)


         Structural Unadjusted      Countries

    1996     -6.5          -7.4      Greece
    1997     -4.4          -4.7
    1998     -4.4          -4.1

    1996     -1.8          -4.1      France
    1997     -0.9          -3.2
    1998     -1.3          -3.2

    1996     -5.4          -6.7       Italy
    1997     -1.7          -3.2
    1998     -1.6          -3.0

    1996     -1.7          -3.6      Germany
    1997     -1.2          -3.1
    1998     -1.2          -2.9

    1996     -2.7          -4.4       Spain
    1997     -2.0          -3.0
    1998     -2.1          -2.6

    1996     -3.0          -4.0     Portugal
    1997     -2.2          -2.9
    1998     -2.5          -2.9

    1996     -1.9          -3.2      Belgium
    1997     -1.6          -2.8
    1998     -1.8          -2.6

    1996     -2.6          -3.9      Austria
    1997     -0.9          -2.5
    1998     -1.1          -2.5

    1996     -0.8          -2.5      Sweden
    1997     -0.4          -2.1
    1998      0.8           0.8

    1996     -1.1          -2.3    Netherlands
    1997     -1.5          -2.1
    1998     -2.0          -1.8

    1996     -3.8          -4.7  United Kingdom
    1997     -1.5          -2.0
    1998     -0.4          -0.6

    1996      0.9          -3.1      Finland
    1997      0.8          -1.9
    1998      1.4          -0.4

    1996     -0.8          -0.9      Ireland
    1997     -0.7          -0.8
    1998     -0.7          -0.8

    1996      0.0          -0.1    Luxembourg
    1997      0.0          -0.1
    1998      0.0          -0.1

    1996     -1.1          -1.4      Denmark
    1997      0.4           0.5
    1998      0.3           0.5

    1996     -2.8          -4.3  European Union
    1997     -1.3          -2.8
    1998     -1.2          -2.3


Source:  World Economic Outlook, October 1997
©1997 International Monetary Fund