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.

Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway were among the European countries with most indebted households in 2023 and 2024. The debt of Dutch households amounted to 200 percent their disposable income in , as they had a ratio of over 180 percent in the second quarter of 2024. Meanwhile, Norwegian households' debt represented 233 percent of their income. However, households in most countries were less indebted, with that ratio amounting to 97 percent in the Euro area. Less indebtedness in Western and Northern Europe There were several European countries where household's debts outweighed their disposable income. Most of those countries were North or West European. However, the indebtedness ratio in Denmark has been decreasing during the past decade. As the debt of Danish households represented nearly 273 percent in the last quarter of 2014, which has fallen very significantly by 2024. Other countries with indebted households have been following similar trends. The households' debt-to-income ratio in the Netherlands has also fallen from over 275 percent in 2013 to 200 percent in 2024. Debt per adult in Europe In Europe, the value of debt per adult varies considerably from an average of around 10,000 U.S. dollars in Europe to a much higher level in certain countries such as Switzerland. Debts can be formed in a number of ways. The most common forms of debt include credit cards, medical debt, student loans, overdrafts, mortgages, automobile financing and personal loans.

Government Debt in European Union increased to 12732445.20 EUR Million in 2023 from 12268150 EUR Million in 2022. This dataset provides - European Union Government Debt- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

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.

Key information about European Union Household Debt: % of GDP

• European Union household debt accounted for 44.1 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Dec 2024, compared with the ratio of 44.4 % in the previous quarter.
• EU household debt to GDP ratio is updated quarterly, available from Sep 1997 to Dec 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 54.2 % in Jun 2010 and a record low of 38.9 % in Sep 1997.

CEIC calculates quarterly Household Debt as % of Nominal GDP from monthly Household Debt and quarterly Nominal GDP. European Central Bank provides Household Debt in EUR. Eurostat provides Nominal GDP in EUR. Loans are used due to the lack of Flow of Funds statistics. Household Debt includes Mortgages and Consumer Loans.


Related information about European Union Household Debt: % of GDP

• In the latest reports, EU Household Debt reached 6,956.2 USD bn in Jan 2025.
• Money Supply M2 in EU increased 3.3 % YoY in Jan 2025.
• EU Foreign Exchange Reserves was measured at 297.5 USD bn in Jan 2025.
• The Foreign Exchange Reserves equaled 1.4 Months of Import in Dec 2024.
• EU Domestic Credit reached 25,135.4 USD bn in Dec 2024, representing an increased of 2.7 % YoY.

Debt is the entire stock of direct government fixed-term contractual obligations to others outstanding on a particular date. It includes domestic and foreign liabilities such as currency and money deposits, securities other than shares, and loans. It is the gross amount of government liabilities reduced by the amount of equity and financial derivatives held by the government. Because debt is a stock rather than a flow, it is measured as of a given date, usually the last day of the fiscal year.

Key information about European Union Total Debt: % of GDP

• European Union Total Debt accounted for 719.1 % of the country's GDP in 2022, compared with the ratio of 797.7 % in the previous year.
• EU Total Debt: % of GDP data is updated yearly, available from Dec 2001 to Dec 2022.
• The data reached an all-time high of 815.6 % in Dec 2020 and a record low of 547.8 % in Dec 2001.

CEIC calculates annual Total Debt as % of Nominal GDP from annual Total Debt and quarterly Nominal GDP. Total Debt is calculated as the Total Liabilities less Equity & Investment Fund Shares and Financial Derivatives. Eurostat provides Total Debt in EUR and Nominal GDP in EUR. European Union stands for EU27 excluding UK.

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.

The value of the debt per adult in Europe in 2022 varied a lot from country to country. While Swiss adults had on average over 151,600 U.S. dollars of debt in 2022, adults from Azerbaijan had a debt of 540 dollars. Meanwhile, the average volume of debt in Europe that year was almost 25,000 U.S. dollars per adult. The household debt to disposable income ratio in Europe follows a similarly varied distribution. As varied as the volume of debts in Europe are, the most common forms of debt are still very similar and they tend to include: credit cards, medical debt, student loans, overdrafts, mortgages, automobile financing and personal loans.

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.

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.

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

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.

Graph and download economic data for Amount Outstanding of International Debt Securities for Issuers in General Government Sector, All Maturities, Nationality of Issuer in Europe (DISCONTINUED) (IDSGGGAMNIAO3C) from Q3 1993 to Q2 2015 about sector, maturity, Europe, debt, securities, and government.

Graph and download economic data for Amount Outstanding Due within One Year of International Debt Securities for Non-financial Corporations Sector, Nationality of Issuer in Europe (DISCONTINUED) (IDS1MNIAONC3C) from Q2 1994 to Q2 2015 about 1-year, nonfinancial, sector, Europe, debt, securities, and corporate.

This statistic shows the general gross debt of the European Union and the euro area in trillion euros from 2010 to 2023. In 2023, the debt of the European Union amounted to approximately 13.86 trillion euros.

European Union EU27: DG ECFIN Forecast: General Government Gross Debt: Consolidated: Stock/Flow Adjusted data was reported at 143.100 EUR bn in 2026. This records an increase from the previous number of 132.200 EUR bn for 2025. European Union EU27: DG ECFIN Forecast: General Government Gross Debt: Consolidated: Stock/Flow Adjusted data is updated yearly, averaging 24.550 EUR bn from Dec 2001 (Median) to 2026, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 341.900 EUR bn in 2020 and a record low of -88.500 EUR bn in 2015. European Union EU27: DG ECFIN Forecast: General Government Gross Debt: Consolidated: Stock/Flow Adjusted data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by European Commission's Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs. The data is categorized under Global Database’s European Union – Table EU.DG ECFIN.AMECO: General Government Debt: Forecast.

European Union General Government Debt: % of GDP: EA 19 data was reported at 85.100 % in 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 87.100 % for 2017. European Union General Government Debt: % of GDP: EA 19 data is updated yearly, averaging 79.200 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2018, with 19 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 92.000 % in 2014 and a record low of 65.000 % in 2007. European Union General Government Debt: % of GDP: EA 19 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s European Union – Table EU.F008: Eurostat: General Government: Percentage of GDP: ESA 2010.

This dataset provides values for GOVERNMENT DEBT TO GDP.2018 reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.