Czech state budget posts CZK 290.7bn deficit

The Czech state budget ended last year with a deficit of CZK 290.7 billion, well above the planned 241 billion, Finance Minister Alena Schillerová said on Tuesday.

The shortfall was the fourth-largest since the country’s founding, though still lower than deficits recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, the deficit totalled CZK 271.4 billion.

Schillerová said the higher deficit was mainly due to increased spending on renewable energy, lower-than-expected revenue from emission permits, and higher costs in regional education.

The deficit deepened sharply in December, rising by CZK 58.3 billion, an unusually large year-end increase.