Estonia boasts 2011 budget surplus, EU's lowest debt

(TALLINN) - Estonia posted a budget surplus of 1.0 percent of the economy last year, while its public debt totalled just 6.0 percent, the lowest debt in the 27 member European Union, data showed Monday.

The Baltic state of 1.3 million which joined the EU in 2004 and eurozone in 2011 has long been known for its rigorous fiscal discipline.

Estonia recorded 7.6 percent growth last year and its economy is forecast by the central bank to grow by 1.9 percent this year.