Difference between Surplus and Deficit


For a country's economy to remain stable, the surplus or deficit budgets for a particular fiscal year must balance out. However, a surplus or deficit is not uncommon in an economy, therefore this is not always the case. These factors have an effect on national spending plans and the whole economy, including production and monetary spending patterns. The pursuit of balance connects the two ideas.

What is Surplus?

When there is more of a good or service available than has been consumed, we say that there is a surplus. The term is commonly used to describe the situation that occurs when the supply of a good or service exceeds the demand for it. Surplus assets include things like capital, income, profits, and products. The imbalance prevents the free movement of goods across the market.

The government may make life simpler for customers by setting a "price floor," or the lowest price at which a product or service must be sold. When income for the period exceeds spending, a surplus exists in the budget.

There are many different kinds of excess, including the following −

  • Economic surplus − This term is used to describe a rise in the amount of money that may be made by selling a certain commodity. It might be an output surplus or an income surplus. One or the other might happen. In a situation of consumer surplus, the price of a thing or service is less than the highest feasible price the client is ready to pay for that item. The end outcome is better for the consumer. When there is a surplus of production over demand, however, producers might earn a profit by charging more than the going rate for their wares.

  • Budget surplus − This frequently occurs in governmental organizations and occurs when income is greater than the amount spent.

What is Deficit?

The term "deficit" is used to describe a situation in which there is not enough of a required resource, most commonly money, resulting in higher expenses than income. Signs of wasteful spending include a negative cash flow (when expenditures exceed revenues) and a growing debt load.

There are many different kinds of deficiencies, including the following −

  • Budget deficit − This happens when expenditures for a given time period are higher than income for that time period. A deficit in the government leads to an increase in the national debt.

  • Trade deficits − A trade deficit occurs when a country's imports are greater than its exports. The local currency may lose value and jobs may be lost as a result of this.

Though deficits are usually seen as a source of problems, they may be created by design in some cases. In order to boost the purchasing power of the public, the government may raise spending while decreasing revenue, creating a deficit scenario.

Differences between Surplus and Deficit

The following table highlights the differences between Surplus and Deficit −

Characteristics Surplus Deficit

Definition

If there is more of a resource or asset after its usage is deducted from it, we say that it has a surplus.

Deficits occur when available funds are insufficient to cover expenses that have been incurred and the deficit generated has fallen short of those outlays.

Types

The fiscal surplus and the economic surplus are both types of surplus.

Different types of deficits include the budget deficit and the trade deficit.

Government expenditure

When the government has a surplus, expenditure tends to rise.

When there is a deficit, the government has to reduce its spending.

Effect on tax

Lawmakers may choose to reduce taxes if there is surplus revenue.

To make up for a potential deficit, tax rates might be increased.

Conclusion

Expenses can surpass income when there is a surplus of the resource or asset in question, whereas the opposite is true when there is a deficit. The difference between a surplus and a deficit, from an economic perspective, is that a surplus occurs when there is more of a certain resource or item than is being used, while a deficit occurs when there is less of the resource needed.

Updated on: 16-Dec-2022

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