According to provisional data, the state budget deficit amounted to EUR 1.318 million in the first four months of 2021, and without the direct effect of COVID-related measures the deficit would have amounted to EUR 296 million. A deficit of EUR 2,747 million is envisaged in the state budget for the whole year.
After favourable trends in April, revenue in the first four months was 11.8% higher than in the same period last year, and, without taking into account the direct effect of COVID measures, it was 2.7% higher. The relatively favorable revenue growth is largely due to the base effect, when revenues fell sharply last year at the start of the epidemic, and the easing of restrictive measures in April this year.
Expenditure in the first four months was 26.3% higher than in the same period last year, and, without taking into account the direct effect of COVID measures totalling EUR 1.031 million, it was 1.6% higher, mostly due to higher labour costs.
The April cost of COVID measures with a direct effect on the state budget balance was EUR 179 million. In the first four months of 2021, the total direct scope of COVID measures was EUR 1.052 million, mostly on the expenditure side (EUR 1.031 million).
The total direct effect of COVID measures since March 2020 amounts to EUR 3,477 million, and the total cost of such measures, taking into account the potential effect of guarantees, liquidity loans and deferred credit payments on the state budget results, stands at EUR 4,043 million.
According to preliminary data, 54.0 thousand employees were involved in job retention measures in February 2021. In the previous three months, for which the data are already more definitive, the number was about 90 thousand, which is about a tenth of all employees. Basic income for February was disbursed to 33.0 thousand self-employed people, which is around 45% of all the self-employed, while this number stood at around 65% in the spring of last year.