RIYADH: Saudi Arabia reported a narrower budget deficit for 2021 from what was previously estimated in December, Ministry of Finance showed in a new data release.

Despite a jump in government spending, the Kingdom's actual deficit went down to SR73.4 billion ($19.6 billion) from the estimated deficit of SR85 billion.

Revenues for the year stood at SR966 billion, up by SR36 billion from the estimates in December, while expenditures went up by SR24 billion to SR1.04 trillion, the data released late on Monday showed. 

The deficit for the fourth quarter alone was SR68.1 bn as the results were little changed from what the government announced in December. The total revenues were SR269 billion and expenditures hit SR337 billion.