Egypt’s budget deficit reached 10% of GDP, while its foreign-exchange reserves have fallen to $15 billion – barely enough to cover the country’s import bill for the next three months. In Tunisia, too, the budget deficit has widened sharply in the wake of the revolution, rising from 2.6% of GDP in 2010 to 6% in 2011.
这些不利趋势的综合效应是对这些国家的财政和外部平衡形成了冲击。埃及预算赤字达到了GDP的10%，而外汇储备下跌至150亿美元——大概只够支付未来三个月的进口账单。突尼斯也是如此，自革命以来预算赤字迅速增加，占GDP的比重从2010年的2.6%上升为2011年的6%。