Greece posts €5.18 billion primary budget surplus, more than double Q1 target

Greece recorded a €5.175 billion primary budget surplus from January 1 to March 31, 2026, exceeding its €2.298 billion target by more than twofold, the Finance Ministry said May 15, 2026. The ministry said the headline figure was boosted by one-off transfers and early receipts of funds, indicating the underlying fiscal position may be less strong than the surplus suggests. Primary balances exclude interest payments and are closely watched by investors assessing Greece’s debt sustainability. The stronger-than-expected first-quarter result may support market confidence in Greece’s fiscal trajectory, though officials signaled that timing effects should be considered before extrapolating the data for the full year.