MADRID (Reuters) -Spain aims to achieve a budget deficit of 2.​1% of its gross domestic product ‌next year, down from 2.5% projected for ‌this year, Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said on Tuesday.

The targets exclude billions of euros of additional reconstruction spending following last year’s catastrophic ⁠flash floods in ‌the Valencia region.

Cuerpo added the deficit target for 2027 was 1.8% ‍of GDP.

On Monday, both the European Commission and the Spanish government said Spain’s economy was ​projected to grow 2.9% this year ‌- more than double the average pace in the European Union and exceeding the previous forecasts of 2.6-2.7%.

Next year, the government expects growth to decelerate ⁠to 2.2%, ​and remain at 2.1%​ both in 2027 and 2028, Cuerpo said.

“Spain continues to enjoy dynamic ‍and resilient ⁠growth. Our differentiated response to the crises since the COVID-19 pandemic has allowed ⁠us to emerge unscathed,” he added.

(Reporting ‌by David Latona and Jesús Aguado; ‌Editing by Andrei Khalip)