(ANSA) - TRIESTE - According to data released by Eurostat, at the end of the second quarter of 2014, Estonia was the EU country with the lowest government debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio with around 2 bln euros of debt equaling to 10,5% of GDP. The second lowest was Luxembourg, at a distance with 23% of GDP and total debt of around 10 bln euros. Romania is the third lowest with 38,5% of GDP (56,2 bln euros according to currency exchange rates to date). Italy holds the highest debt to GDP ratio in the EU28 (133.8%), while amongst the New Europe countries Slovenia (78,3%) and Croatia (77%) have the highest rates. Percentages for Greece (317 bln euros), Bulgaria (8 bln euros) Hungary (83 bln euros), Lithuania (13,7 bln), Poland (194 bln) and Slovakia (41 bln) were not available in the report relative to the second quarter of 2014.

Czech Republic (44,2% of GDP, 67 bln Euros), and Latvia (41,1%, 9,7 bln) are positioned in the middle amongst the New Europe countries with available data.

The overall government debt to GDP ratio in the Euro Area (EA18) stood at 92.7% in the second quarter, compared with 91.9% at the end of the first quarter of 2014, according to Eurostat.

In the EU28, the ratio increased from 86.0% to 87.0% in the same period. Compared with the second quarter of 2013, the government debt to GDP ratio rose in both the Euro Area (from 91.7% to 92.7%) and the EU28 (from 85.1% to 87.0%). (ANSA).