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 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 statistic shows the national debt of important industrial and emerging countries in 2023 in relation to the gross domestic product (GDP). In 2023, the national debt of China was at about 83.64 percent of the gross domestic product.

Of the G7 countries, Japan had the highest net debt in terms of share of gross domestic product (GDP) between 2010 and 2024. That year, Japan's government's net debt reached an estimated 156 percent of its total GDP. Italy had the second highest debt rate at 127 percent of its GDP, whereas Canada had the lowest at only 14 percent.

The statistic shows the 20 countries with the lowest national debt in 2023 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 2023, Russia's estimated level of national debt reached about 19.66 percent of the GDP, ranking 17th 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.

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 2023, 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.

Graph and download economic data for Central government debt, total (% of GDP) for Developing Countries in East Asia and Pacific (GCDODTOTLGDZSEAP) from 1992 to 1995 about East Asia, Pacific, debt, government, and GDP.

Graph and download economic data for Federal Debt: Total Public Debt (GFDEBTN) from Q1 1966 to Q4 2024 about public, debt, federal, government, and USA.

Key information about Japan Government Debt: % of GDP

• Japan Government debt accounted for 216.2 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Dec 2024, compared with the ratio of 217.2 % in the previous quarter.
• Japan government debt to GDP ratio data is updated quarterly, available from Dec 1994 to Dec 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 225.8 % in Mar 2021 and a record low of 55.9 % in Dec 1994.

CEIC calculates quarterly Government Debt as % of Nominal GDP from monthly Government Debt and rolling sum of quarterly Nominal GDP. The Bank of Japan provides Government Debt in local currency. The Economic and Social Research Institute provides Nominal GDP in local currency. Government Debt covers Central Government only.


Related information about Japan Government Debt: % of GDP

• In the latest reports, Japan National Government Debt reached 9,396.6 USD bn in Apr 2023.
• The country's Nominal GDP reached 1,080.1 USD bn in Mar 2023.

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.

Key information about India Government Debt: % of GDP

• India Government debt accounted for 58.3 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Sep 2024, compared with the ratio of 58.3 % in the previous quarter.
• India government debt to GDP ratio data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 2012 to Sep 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 59.3 % in Sep 2023 and a record low of 44.6 % in Dec 2018.

CEIC calculates quarterly Government Debt as % of Nominal GDP from quarterly Government Debt and rolling sum of quarterly Nominal GDP. The Ministry of Finance provides Government Debt in local currency. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation provides Nominal GDP in local currency. Government Debt covers Central Government only.


Related information about India Government Debt: % of GDP

• In the latest reports, India National Government Debt reached 2,144.6 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• The country's Nominal GDP reached 873.7 USD bn in Mar 2023.

Venezuela was the most indebted country in Latin America and the Caribbean based on total government debt as percentage of gross domestic product (GDP). The lowest general government debt to GDP ratio in the region was found in Haiti, where the total public debt accounted for only 14.9 percent of the country's GDP as of 2024.

Graph and download economic data for Federal Debt Held by Foreign and International Investors as Percent of Gross Domestic Product (HBFIGDQ188S) from Q1 1970 to Q4 2024 about foreign, debt, federal, GDP, and USA.

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.

Key information about Argentina Government Debt: % of GDP

• Argentina Government debt accounted for 80.3 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Mar 2023, compared with the ratio of 79.5 % in the previous quarter.
• Argentina government debt to GDP ratio data is updated quarterly, available from Dec 2004 to Mar 2023.
• The data reached an all-time high of 116.8 % in Dec 2004 and a record low of 33.9 % in Jun 2012.

CEIC calculates quarterly Government Debt as % of Nominal GDP from quarterly Government Debt and quarterly Nominal GDP. The Ministry of Treasury provides Government Debt in USD. The National Institute of Statistics and Censuses provides annualized Nominal GDP in local currency. The Central Bank of Argentina average market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. Government Debt excludes debt swaps.


Related information about Argentina Government Debt: % of GDP

• In the latest reports, Argentina National Government Debt reached 398.2 USD bn in Mar 2023.
• The country's Nominal GDP reached 150.8 USD bn in Mar 2023.

Key information about Sri Lanka Government Debt: % of GDP

• Sri Lanka Government debt accounted for 96.9 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Sep 2024, compared with the ratio of 98.0 % in the previous quarter.
• Sri Lanka government debt to GDP ratio data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 2014 to Sep 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 120.9 % in Jun 2022 and a record low of 72.0 % in Mar 2018.

CEIC calculates quarterly Government Debt as % of Nominal GDP from quarterly Government Debt and rolling sum of quarterly Nominal GDP. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka provides Government Debt in local currency. The Department of Census and Statistics provides Nominal GDP in local currency. Government Debt as % of Nominal GDP prior to Q4 2015 is calculated from Nominal GDP based on old methodology.


Related information about Sri Lanka Government Debt: % of GDP

• In the latest reports, Sri Lanka National Government Debt reached 96.5 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• The country's Nominal GDP reached 20.9 USD bn in Mar 2023.

Key information about China Government Debt: % of GDP

• China Government debt accounted for 25.6 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Dec 2024, compared with the ratio of 25.1 % in the previous quarter.
• China government debt to GDP ratio data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 2014 to Dec 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 25.6 % in Dec 2024 and a record low of 14.0 % in Mar 2014.

CEIC calculates quarterly Government Debt as % of Nominal GDP from quarterly Government Debt and rolling sum of quarterly Nominal GDP. The Ministry of Finance provides Government Debt in local currency. The National Bureau of Statistics provides Nominal GDP in local currency. Government Debt covers Central Government only.


Related information about China Government Debt: % of GDP

• In the latest reports, China National Government Debt reached 4,230.0 USD bn in Dec 2023.
• The country's Nominal GDP reached 4,166.8 USD bn in Mar 2023.

Key information about Russia Government Debt: % of GDP

• Russia Government debt accounted for 14.6 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Mar 2024, compared with the ratio of 14.9 % in the previous quarter.
• Russia government debt to GDP ratio data is updated quarterly, available from Dec 2011 to Mar 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 17.8 % in Mar 2021 and a record low of 8.5 % in Mar 2012.

CEIC calculates quarterly Government Debt as % of Nominal GDP from monthly Government Debt and rolling sum of quarterly Nominal GDP. Government Debt is calculated as a sum of Domestic Government Debt and External Government Debt. The Ministry of Finance provides Government Debt in USD and local currency. The Federal State Statistics Service provides Nominal GDP in local currency. The Bank of Russia period end market exchange rate is used for currency conversions.


Related information about Russia Government Debt: % of GDP

• In the latest reports, Russia National Government Debt reached 284.6 USD bn in Apr 2024.
• The country's Nominal GDP reached 494.7 USD bn in Mar 2023.