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.

Key information about European Union Government Debt: % of GDP

• European Union Government debt accounted for 81.6 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Sep 2024, compared with the ratio of 81.5 % in the previous quarter.
• EU government debt to GDP ratio data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 2000 to Sep 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 91.5 % in Mar 2021 and a record low of 62.4 % in Dec 2007.

CEIC calculates quarterly Government Debt as % of Nominal GDP from quarterly Government Debt and rolling sum of quarterly Nominal GDP. Eurostat provides Government Debt in EUR and Nominal GDP in EUR. European Union stands for EU27 excluding UK.


Related information about European Union Government Debt: % of GDP

• In the latest reports, EU National Government Debt reached 16,136.9 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• The country's Nominal GDP reached 4,430.4 USD bn in Mar 2023.

Graph and download economic data for Central government debt, total (% of GDP) for the Euro Area (GCDODTOTLGDZSEMU) from 1998 to 2022 about Euro Area, Europe, debt, government, and GDP.

'Quarterly government debt' is defined as the total gross debt at nominal value outstanding at the end of each quarter for the general government sector (ref. Regulation (EU) No 549/2013, Annex B transmission programme, definition of general government sector ESA 2010 §2.111).

Data are measured in million Euro, million of national currency units, percentage of GDP and percentage of total consolidated debt.

Data cover EU Member States, Iceland and Norway.

Quarterly data on government debt is provided according to the provisions of the European System of Accounts ESA 2010 (Regulation (EU) No 549/2013).

Data is transmitted by national authorities (National Statistical Institutes, National Central Banks or Ministries of Finance).

The average level of government debt to GDP ratios in the European Union and the Euro currency area increased rapidly following the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-2008 and subsequent recession, peaking in the Eurozone at 93.2 percent of GDP. This figure was exceeded once more in 2020 due to increased borrowing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Eurozone average now being over 90% of yearly production. The debt to GDP ratio measures the stock of government debt which is yet to be paid off in relation to the Gross Domestic Product of a country or region, which is the monetary value of goods and services produced and sold in a year. This ratio gives a clearer picture of debt sustainability than by looking at the absolute value of debt, as a country with a large economy may be able to easily pay off debts which seem large in absolute terms, but are in fact small in comparison to GDP.

Government Debt in European Union increased to 14543529 EUR Million in 2024 from 13901072 EUR Million in 2023. This dataset provides - European Union Government Debt- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Government Debt In the Euro Area increased to 13258118 EUR Million in 2024 from 12753756 EUR Million in 2023. This dataset provides - Euro Area Government Debt- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Key information about European Union National Government Debt

• European Union National Government Debt reached 16,136.9 USD bn in Sep 2024, compared with 15,321.8 USD bn in the previous quarter.
• EU National Government Debt data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 2000 to Sep 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 16,136.9 USD bn in Sep 2024 and a record low of 4,554.4 USD bn in Jun 2001.

CEIC converts quarterly Government Debt into USD. Eurostat provides Government Debt in EUR based on ESA 2010. The Federal Reserve Board period end market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. European Union stands for EU27 excluding UK.


Related information about European Union National Government Debt

• In the latest reports, EU Consolidated Fiscal Balance recorded a deficit equal to 3.5 % of its Nominal GDP in Dec 2023.
• The country's Government debt accounted for 81.6 % of its Nominal GDP in Sep 2024.
• EU Nominal GDP reached 4,430.4 USD bn in Mar 2023.

The data correspond to quarterly government debt. Public debt is defined in the Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal (face) value, outstanding at the end of the year. Data for the general government sector are consolidated between subsectors at the national level. Data are non-seasonally adjusted.

France, Italy, Germany, and Spain are the four member states of the European Union with the largest government debts in absolute terms. These countries' debts range from around 1.5 trillion euros for Spain, to closer to three trillion euros for France. The absolute value of a countries debt can be a misleading indicator, as countries with larger economies and population naturally tend to have larger absolute debt burdens - therefore, to see how capable a country is of servicing or paying off its debt, it is better to look at the ratio of its debt compared to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

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.

Several European Union member states have struggled with high levels of public debt in the period since the Global Financial Crisis. In particular, Greece's debt skyrocketed during the recession which followed the crisis, culminating in a period of intense political and social upheaval during the early 2010s in which the country came close to having to leave the Euro single currency zone. Along with Italy, Portugal, Spain and France, Greece is part of a group of EU members who have seen their debt soar to a value worth over one year's aggregate production in their economies (i.e. 100% of GDP) due to slow economic growth coupled with increasing public liabilities due to the need to provide emergency support to their domestic financial systems. Belgium, while also a part of this group of high-debt ratio countries has quite different circumstances, as its debt ratio has in fact fallen since the 1990s, remaining 20 percent below its 1995 level, even after a spike due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Government Debt in France increased to 3345.80 EUR Billion in the first quarter of 2025 from 3305.30 EUR Billion in the fourth quarter of 2024. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - France General Government Debt - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Serbia Public Debt data was reported at 39,053.680 EUR mn in Feb 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 39,015.388 EUR mn for Jan 2025. Serbia Public Debt data is updated monthly, averaging 22,161.988 EUR mn from Dec 2000 (Median) to Feb 2025, with 250 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 39,053.680 EUR mn in Feb 2025 and a record low of 8,623.578 EUR mn in Jun 2008. Serbia Public Debt data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Finance. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Serbia – Table RS.F007: Government Debt.

Graph and download economic data for Outstanding International Public Debt Securities to GDP for Euro Area (DISCONTINUED) (DDDM06EZA156NWDB) from 1980 to 2015 about public, Euro Area, Europe, debt, securities, and GDP.

This statistic shows the national debt in the member states of the European Union in the second quarter of 2024. The data refer to the entire state and are comprised of the debts of central government, provinces, municipalities, local authorities and social security. In the second quarter of 2024, Greece's national debt amounted to about 369.4 billion euros. National debt in the EU member states National or government debt is the debt owed by a central government. No country in the European Union is debt-free, although some are able to manage their debts better than others. Debt is influenced by the economic situation of a country, factors such as unemployment, the rate of inflation or the trade figures have a significant impact on its extent, and are, in turn, influenced by the national debt. The economic crisis has hit some EU countries harder than others; Spain, Ireland and Greece especially have been struggling economically since 2008. Greece’s national debt has skyrocketed over the past few years, and the same can be said about Spain and Ireland. Other EU countries, like France and the United Kingdom have been affected as well, albeit not as severely. The national debt of a country can be reduced by applying several measures: money can be borrowed (for example in the form of rescue packages), austerity programs can be enforced, taxes can be increased or central banks can inject liquidity into the economy through the implementation of quantitative easing policies. Some critics of the policy claim that this could lead to a higher level of inflation, which, if severe enough, could have a detrimental impact on living standards.

This statistic shows the national debt of the European Union and the euro area in relation to the gross domestic product (GDP) from 2020 to 2024, with projections up until 2030. In 2024, the national debt of the European Union amounted to approximately 82.5 percent of the gross domestic product.

Spain ES: Gross Public Debt: General Government: Debt Securities data was reported at 994,933.783 EUR mn in Jun 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 989,098.657 EUR mn for Mar 2018. Spain ES: Gross Public Debt: General Government: Debt Securities data is updated quarterly, averaging 324,731.443 EUR mn from Mar 1995 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 94 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 994,933.783 EUR mn in Jun 2018 and a record low of 193,363.937 EUR mn in Mar 1995. Spain ES: Gross Public Debt: General Government: Debt Securities data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Spain – Table ES.World Bank.QPSD: Gross Public Debt: General Government.

Government Debt in Germany increased to 2523308 EUR Million in the first quarter of 2025 from 2508985 EUR Million in the fourth quarter of 2024. This dataset provides - Germany Government Debt- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.