The general government deficit in the euro area, EA20, (eurozone countries excluding Bulgaria, which joined the currency union at the beginning of 2026) decreased to 2.9% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2025, compared to 3% a year earlier, according to the latest data from the European statistical office Eurostat. The deficit in the euro area has declined for the third consecutive year. For the European Union as a whole, the indicator remained unchanged at 3.1% of GDP. The published data cover the period 2022–2025 and are part of the first 2026 notification by Member States under the Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP), prepared on the basis of the European System of National and Regional Accounts (ESA 2010). [...]