Federal Budget Balance (% GDP) — methodology

What this metric measures

The difference between federal government revenue and spending as a share of the economy. Positive = surplus; Negative = deficit.

Why it matters: Persistent deficits add to debt. Surpluses reduce debt and provide a buffer for future downturns.

Source & provenance

Publisher

Australian Government Budget Papers; MYE

Update frequency

annual

Licence

CC BY 4.0

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How the score is computed

The score is a 0–100 normalisation of the latest observation, compared to a baseline window. The traffic-light rating (RAG) reflects both the absolute level and the recent trend.

Direction

Higher is better

Trend window

120 months

Baseline

Last 10 years

{
  "red_max_pct_of_baseline": 95,
  "amber_min_pct_of_baseline": 95,
  "green_min_pct_of_baseline": 102
}