By Reuters Staff
(Recasts to add ‘bad bank’ liabilities and details)
MADRID, March 31 (Reuters) - Spain’s public debt reached 120% of gross domestic product last year, above the previously reported 117.1%, the Bank of Spain said on Wednesday, after adding ‘bad bank’ liabilities stemming from the financial crisis a decade ago as demanded by Brussels.
The debt-to-GDP ratio spiked from 95.5% at the end of 2019 and 114% in the third quarter of 2020, mostly due to increased spending to cushion the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and a simultaneous economic slump.
The higher final debt ratio confirms what a senior government source told Reuters last week.