In 2024, Sudan ranked had the highest public debt level in relation to its GDP, with an estimated debt almost three times larger than its GDP. The countries with the highest public debt often have a high level of economic instability, however there are also many more developed economies on this list, such as five of the G7 countries, who feature due to their high levels of national borrowing and public spending. Venezuela's public debt

This dataset provides values for GOVERNMENT DEBT TO GDP reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

In the third quarter of 2024, Greece's national debt was the highest in all the European Union, amounting to 158 percent of Greece's gross domestic product. In spite of Greece's total being high by EU standards, it marks a substantial decrease from the historical high point reached by the country's national debt of 207 percent of GDP in 2020. Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, and Portugal also all have government debt worth over one year's production of their economies, while the small Baltic country of Estonia has the smallest national debt when compared with GDP, at only 24 percent. In debitum incrementum?A country’s national debt, also known as government debt or public debt, is defined as all borrowings owed by the government of a country. It usually comprises internal debt – owed to other governmental departments – and external debt, which is held by the public and is owed to government bond owners. National debt can be caused by a struggling economy in general, or by low tax income, which usually leads to money being borrowed from other governments for support, which in turn cannot be paid back right away. At first glance, a high national debt is not always a sign of a struggling economy – but since increasing debt can slow down economic growth significantly, it is imperative for the respective government to seek a steady reduction in the long run.

This dataset provides values for PRIVATE DEBT TO GDP reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

The statistic shows the 20 countries with the lowest national debt in 2024 in relation to the gross domestic product (GDP). The data refer to the debts of the entire state, including the central government, the provinces, municipalities, local authorities and social insurance. In 2024, Russia's estimated level of national debt reached about 20.3 percent of the GDP, ranking 16th of the countries with the lowest national debt. National debt and GDP The debt-to-GDP ratio is an indicator of a country’s ability to produce and sell goods in order to pay back any present debts, however these countries should not retain newer debts in the process. Many economists believe that if a country is able to produce more without impairing its own economical growth, it can be considered more stable, particularly for the future. However, the listed countries, with the exception of Russia and Saudi Arabia, are not necessarily economic first-world powers. Additionally, economically powerful countries such as the United States and France maintain one of the highest debt-to-GDP ratios, signifying that occurring debt does not necessarily damage the state of the economy and is sometimes necessary in order to help develop it. Saudi Arabia has maintained one of the lowest debt-to-GDP ratios due to its high export rates, which primarily consist of petroleum and petroleum goods. Given the significance of oil in today’s world, Saudi Arabia produces enough oil and earns enough revenue to maintain a high GDP and additionally refrain from incurring debt.

In 2024, Japan had the highest level of total non-financial debt among advanced economies, reaching 394 percent of the country's GDP. Total non-financial debt includes government debt, as well as private and business debt. Debt of the financial sector is not included in the figures.

In 2019, Interest Payments on Government Debt in Zambia jumped by 33.9points from a year earlier.

This dataset provides values for GOVERNMENT DEBT TO GDP reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

This dataset provides values for HOUSEHOLDS DEBT TO INCOME reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

The average for 2022 based on 10 countries was 65.75 percent. The highest value was in Singapore: 158.25 percent and the lowest value was in Brunei: 2.06 percent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

This dataset provides values for GOVERNMENT DEBT TO GDP reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

Cross sectional data, all countries for the statistic External_Debt_Stocks_Total_$. Indicator Definition:Total external debt is debt owed to nonresidents repayable in currency, goods, or services. Total external debt is the sum of public, publicly guaranteed, and private nonguaranteed long-term debt, use of IMF credit, and short-term debt. Short-term debt includes all debt having an original maturity of one year or less and interest in arrears on long-term debt. Data are in current U.S. dollars.Indicator Unit:The statistic is measured in USD.Descriptive Statistics regarding the Indicator "External Debt Stocks Total $":The number of countries with data stands at: 118 countries.The average value across those countries stands at: 73,668,409,542.54.The standard deviation across those countries stands at: 247,300,068,826.45.The lowest value stands at: 196,453,498.60, and was observed in Tonga, which in this case constitutes the country that ranks first.The highest value stands at: 2,420,210,835,503.50, and was observed in China, which in this case constitutes the country that ranks last.Looking at countries with values, the top 5 countries are:1. Tonga, actual value 196,453,498.60, actual ranking 1.2. Timor-Leste, actual value 307,384,037.90, actual ranking 2.3. Comoros, actual value 381,715,460.20, actual ranking 3.4. Samoa, actual value 432,494,880.40, actual ranking 4.5. Sao Tome and Principe, actual value 454,273,049.30, actual ranking 5.Looking at countries with values, the bottom 5 countries are:1. China, actual value 2,420,210,835,503.50, actual ranking 118.2. India, actual value 646,787,065,275.40, actual ranking 117.3. Brazil, actual value 607,115,489,833.00, actual ranking 116.4. Mexico, actual value 595,917,670,218.00, actual ranking 115.5. Turkey, actual value 499,842,484,724.00, actual ranking 114.

Panama is the Latin American country with the highest foreign debt in relation to its gross domestic product (GDP). The total debt held by Panama's central government to foreign creditors represented over 50 percent of the country's GDP in 2022. Nicaragua ranked second among the countries shown in this statistic, with an external debt equivalent to 40.5 percent of its GDP.

This dataset provides values for HOUSEHOLDS DEBT TO GDP reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

Key information about United States Government Debt: % of GDP

• United States Government debt accounted for 124.0 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Dec 2024, compared with the ratio of 123.1 % in the previous quarter.
• US government debt to GDP ratio data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 1969 to Dec 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 130.4 % in Mar 2021 and a record low of 31.8 % in Sep 1974.

CEIC calculates quarterly Government Debt as % of Nominal GDP from monthly Government Debt and rolling sum of quarterly Nominal GDP. The Bureau of the Fiscal Service provides Government Debt in USD. The Bureau of Economic Analysis provides Nominal GDP in USD. Government Debt covers Central Government only.


Related information about United States Government Debt: % of GDP

• In the latest reports, US National Government Debt reached 36,220.2 USD bn in Jan 2025.
• The country's Nominal GDP reached 6,632.4 USD bn in Mar 2023.

The average for 2022 based on 91 countries was 43.94 percent. The highest value was in Zimbabwe: 665.18 percent and the lowest value was in Haiti: 0 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The average for 2023 based on 27 countries was 49.58 percent. The highest value was in Mongolia: 189.66 percent and the lowest value was in Iran: 2.45 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Cross sectional data, all countries for the statistic Total_Debt_Service_%_of_GNI. Indicator Definition:Total debt service is the sum of principal repayments and interest actually paid in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt, interest paid on short-term debt, and repayments (repurchases and charges) to the IMF.Indicator Unit:The statistic is measured in Percnet.Descriptive Statistics regarding the Indicator "Total Debt Service % Of Gni":The number of countries with data stands at: 114 countries.The average value across those countries stands at: 5.74.The standard deviation across those countries stands at: 5.55.The lowest value stands at: 0.0894, and was observed in Iran, Islamic Rep., which in this case constitutes the country that ranks first.The highest value stands at: 28.97, and was observed in El Salvador, which in this case constitutes the country that ranks last.Looking at countries with values, the top 5 countries are:1. Iran, Islamic Rep., actual value 0.0894, actual ranking 1.2. Syrian Arab Republic, actual value 0.149, actual ranking 2.3. Algeria, actual value 0.1916, actual ranking 3.4. Afghanistan, actual value 0.2528, actual ranking 4.5. Haiti, actual value 0.3244, actual ranking 5.Looking at countries with values, the bottom 5 countries are:1. El Salvador, actual value 28.97, actual ranking 114.2. Mongolia, actual value 26.79, actual ranking 113.3. Mozambique, actual value 22.70, actual ranking 112.4. Lebanon, actual value 21.77, actual ranking 111.5. Suriname, actual value 20.62, actual ranking 110.

The average for 2023 based on 9 countries was 68.75 percent. The highest value was in Montenegro: 113.31 percent and the lowest value was in Turkey: 45.15 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

This dataset provides values for GOVERNMENT DEBT reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.