The way of this world is to praise dead saints and to persecute living ones
(Anonymous)
Ireland had 4th largest ratio of government debt to GDP - Eurostat
According to Eurostat figures published on February 6, 2012, Ireland had the fourth highest ratio of government debt to GDP in the EU at the end of the third quarter of 2011 at 104.9%. This represents an increase of 16.5% over the third quarter of 2010, the third highest increase in the EU.
The highest levels of government debt to GDP were recorded in Greece (159.1%), Italy (119.6%) and Portugal (110.1%) at the end of the third quarter of 2011 with Greece and Portugal recording even higher increases when compared to the third quarter of 2010 than Ireland (20.3% and 18.9% respectively).
Overall in the Euro area at the end of the third quarter of 2011, the government debt to GDP ratio stood at 87.4%, compared with 83.2% at the end of the third quarter of 2010. For the EU as a whole, the government debt to GDP ratio increased to 82.2% from 78.5%.
