The statistics service, in a quarterly report, announced that wages fell to 22 pct of total spending to 5.595 billion euros in the fourth quarter of 2013, from 23.1 pct in the same period in 2012 and 23.5 pct in 2011. Spending on social benefits totaled 39.6 pct of total spending to 10.087 billion euros in the fourth quarter of 2013, from 42.7 pct in 2012 and 41.6 pct in 2011.

On the other hand, primary spending grew to 93.1 pct of total spending in the October-December period in 2013 from 92.8 pct in 2012 and 87.6 pct in 2011. Income tax proceeds totaled 23.2 pct of total general government revenue at the end of 2013, while the country’s public debt totaled 318.7 billion euros.