LISBON: Portugal’s public debt stood at 225.72 billion euros (256 billion U.S. dollars) in April, based on the Maastricht criteria, according to the statistical bulletin published Monday by Portugal’s Central Bank.
The country’s public debt in March was 226.27 billion euros, representing a slight fall. At the end of last year, the country’s public debt stood at 225.28 billion euros.
Debt based on the Maastricht criteria measures the level of indebtedness of public administrations of a country. The concept is defined in European Council regulation.
Portugal signed a 78-billion-euro bailout program in 2011 when it was on the verge of bankruptcy.
The country’s international lenders – the European Commission, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank – are continuing to pressure the country to implement further structural reforms even after Portugal exited that program last year.
The country’s growth rate remains tepid, in spite of the economy rising 1.5 percent in the first quarter of 2015.
