LJUBLJANA, March 31 (Xinhua) -- Slovenia reduced the deficit of the general government sector to 5.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021 from 7.8 percent a year before, and public debt fell to 74.7 percent of GDP from 79.8 percent in 2020, the country's Statistical Office said on Thursday.

       In 2021, the deficit was 2.7 billion euros (2.99 billion U.S. dollars) against 3.7 billion euros the year before. The general government sector's gross debt was 38.8 billion euros (37.4 billion euros in 2020).

       Last year, the country's economy expanded by 8.1 percent, the highest growth rate since Slovenia's independence in 1991.

       The office also said that year-on-year consumer price inflation fell to 5.4 percent in March from 6.9 percent in February, when it reached its highest level since July 2008 mainly due to a spike in global energy prices.

       The monthly inflation rate was minus 0.2 percent in March mostly due to lower electricity prices after the Parliament in late February reduced taxes on household electricity for three months in order to prevent excessive price hikes.

       "Electricity was 38.9 percent cheaper (in March than in February) as a direct result of a temporary reduction of taxes on electricity," the office said, adding that the annual inflation rate was reduced by one percentage point due to lower electricity prices.