Argentina Primary Balance

Primary balance — from persistent deficits to large surpluses

Argentina’s primary fiscal balance is one of the most important indicators for assessing the direction of macroeconomic stabilization. Because it excludes interest payments, it offers a clearer view of the underlying fiscal stance and of the government’s ability to correct structural imbalances through revenue and expenditure decisions.

Deficit regime through 2023

Between 2015 and 2023, a pattern of persistent deficits predominated, interrupted only by temporary and incomplete adjustments. The series deteriorated sharply in 2020 amid the pandemic shock and weakened again in 2022–2023, when high inflation, the severe drought, and the electoral context reduced revenues and widened the fiscal imbalance.

This period reflected a regime in which fiscal correction remained partial and unstable. Even when headline revenues benefited from inflation, spending pressures, subsidies, transfers, and the broader macroeconomic disorder prevented a durable convergence toward balance.

Sharp turnaround from 2024 onward

From 2024 onward, the series shifts abruptly: all quarters record very large primary surpluses. This turnaround is mainly explained by a strong contraction in public spending, including real reductions in social benefits and pensions, lower transfers to provinces, cuts in economic subsidies, and inflation-driven erosion that compressed real expenditures.

In macro terms, this marks one of the fastest fiscal consolidations in recent Argentine history. The move is especially relevant because it changes the signal perceived by markets and by the broader stabilization framework: the public sector shifts from being a central source of nominal pressure to becoming an anchor of the adjustment program.

Structural interpretation

From a structural perspective, the country moves from a regime of chronic deficits to one of accelerated fiscal consolidation. This is a major change in the macro regime, but the key question is not only whether surpluses can be maintained in the short run, but whether they can be institutionalized over time.

The sustainability of the adjustment will depend on transforming emergency measures into permanent reforms that stabilize public finances without relying exclusively on expenditure compression. A durable fiscal regime would require stronger budget rules, more predictable intergovernmental transfers, and a spending structure less dependent on inflationary erosion.

Conclusion

Argentina’s primary balance has undergone a profound shift, moving from persistent deficits to substantial surpluses in a very short period. This improves the credibility of the stabilization effort and strengthens the macroeconomic adjustment narrative.

Still, the medium-term signal will depend on whether the current fiscal improvement can survive beyond the initial shock phase. The crucial test ahead is whether large surpluses can be preserved through institutional and structural reform rather than through temporary compression alone.