Changes in general government debt data: revision of external debt data and further harmonisation of general government debt series with the ESA 2010 methodology

Published: 30/9/2021

The release of general government debt data starting from 30 September 2021 brings two novelties:

  1. the data on general government external debt have been revised;
  2. the general government debt series in the period from January 2002 to June 2021 has been further harmonised with the ESA 2010 methodology in terms of the scope of general government debt instruments.

The recent revision of external statistics resulted in a slight correction of central government external loans data for the period from January to December 2019, as well as in the correction of data on external guarantees from June 2020.

Further harmonisation of general government debt with the ESA 2010 methodology in terms of the scope of debt instruments led to the inclusion of a new instrument – Cash and deposits – in the total central government debt. The instrument comprises stocks of unclassified part of contributions from the second pension pillar kept on the temporary state budget account.