Macau’s public accounts had a surplus of 21,6 billion patacas (EUR 2,39 billion) in the first nine months of 2026, more than all last year, was announced today.
© Lusa
09/10/2026
by
Lusa
Amacau's public accounts had a surplus of 21.6 billion patacas (EUR 2,39 billion) in the first nine months of 2026, more than all last year, was announced today.
According to data published online by the Directorate of Finance Services (DSF), the surplus of the territory until September increased by 30.2% compared to the same period of 2025.
Macau closed 2025 with a surplus of 19.9 billion patacas (EUR 2.2 billion), more 26.1% than in the previous year.
In the budget for the whole year 2026, the Macau Government had foreseen a much smaller surplus of 5.22 billion patacas (€578.1 million).
The increase in surplus is mainly due to Macao's current revenue, which grew 5.1% in the first nine months of the year, to 88.7 billion patacas (EUR 9.82 billion).
The main reason for the increase was an increase of 5.9%, to 74.6 billion patacas (EUR 8.26 billion), in revenue from gambling taxes – which represented 83% of all public revenue in the city.
The six game operators pay a direct tax of 35% on the revenues of the game, 2.4% for the Macau Social Security Fund and urban and tourist development, and 1.6% for cultural, educational, scientific, academic and philanthropic purposes.
Macau casinos total revenue reached EUR 187,1 billion (EUR 20,7 billion) in the first nine months of the year, 3.2% more than in the same period of 2025.
Public expenditure has also increased, but only 0.02%, to 68.3 billion patacas (EUR 7.56 billion), 62.6% of what is expected for the whole year, mainly due to an increase in spending on social support.
The main reason for the increase in expenditure was to increase spending on social support and subsidies, which increased by 2.6% to 39.8 billion patacas (4.4 billion euros).
The budget approved in November includes tax benefits to attract investment fund management companies, special investment funds and fund investors to help develop the financial sector.
In addition, the Government exempted from the stamp duty the purchase of the first housing by residents, up to six million patacas (EUR 664 000), in a document providing for a 4.3% increase in social support and subsidies.
On the contrary, spending on public works – the Investment and Expenditure Plan of the Administration (PIDDA) – declined by 3.6% until September, to 11.8 billion patacas (1.31 billion euros).
The budget for this year already provided for an 8.6% drop in the PIDDA, which includes major projects such as the East Line of the Light Metro, which will reach the main border with mainland China, in the north of the Macao Peninsula.
Expenditure on civil servants also decreased by 1.1% to 11.7 billion patacas (EUR 1.3 billion), after the civil service had not had any wage increases in 2026 for the second consecutive year.
Official statistics do not reveal how many civil servants have Portuguese nationality, only mentioning that 226 were born in Portugal.