Portugal’s public finances began the year with a deficit of 0.7% in the first quarter, according to data released by the National Institute of Statistics (INE). This marks a negative budgetary balance at the start of the year. The INE data provides an initial snapshot of the country’s economic performance. This deficit figure indicates that government spending exceeded revenue during the January-March period. Further analysis will be needed to understand the underlying factors contributing to this deficit. The information is crucial for assessing the overall health of the Portuguese economy and informing future fiscal policy decisions. This early deficit raises questions about the government’s ability to meet its fiscal targets for the year.