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

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.

The average for 2022 based on 174 countries was 59.99 percent. The highest value was in Japan: 236.58 percent and the lowest value was in Liechtenstein: 0.5 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.

Venezuela was the most indebted country in Latin America and the Caribbean based on total government debt as a 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 **** percent of the country's GDP as of 2024.

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 *** percent of its total GDP. Italy had the second highest debt rate at *** percent of its GDP, whereas Canada had the lowest at only ** percent.

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.

Sudan has the highest public debt rate worldwide. The country was for a long time placed on the list of terror-sponsoring states by the United States, a decision that was only changed as late as 2020. Moreover, the country has been ridden by civil war since **********, and several other internal conflicts before. All these factors mean that creditors have had little trust in Sudan's ability to repay loans, and as a result, its debt rate stands at over *** percent of its gross domestic product.

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.

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.

This dataset provides values for EXTERNAL DEBT 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 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.

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 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.

This statistic shows the gross domestic product (GDP) in France from 1987 to 2024, with a projection up until 2030. GDP refers to the total market value of all goods and services that are produced within a country per year. It is an important indicator of the economic strength of a country. In 2024, the GDP in France was around 3.16 trillion U.S. dollars. Economy of France France is an economically developed nation and one of the members of the G7. France is also considered to be one of the leading countries in Europe, often seen as the second most important nation in the European Union behind Germany. France has a relatively high gross domestic product (GDP), being one of the top 10 countries with the largest GDP in the world in 2014. Despite this, the country is still ranked in the top 20 in regards to its public debt compared to its GDP in the same year. A high debt-to-GDP ratio demonstrates a country’s ability to produce and sell goods and services in order to be able to pay back its debts, however producing and selling these goods should not result in more debts. France’s national debt slightly increased year-over-year up until 2014, most notably between 2008 and 2009. Additionally, France reported a large trade deficit in 2012, a value almost 5 times larger compared to the previous year, indicating that the country is importing much more than it is exporting. This often leads to higher debts due to a need to borrow more money to produce goods.

In 2023, the United States had the highest gross government debt of any G7 country, amounting to an estimated 33 trillion U.S. dollars. However, in terms of government debt as a share of GDP, Japan carries a far higher government debt load than the U.S.

Key information about US External Debt

• United States External Debt reached 25,798.1 USD bn in Sep 2024, compared with 26,895.8 USD bn in the previous quarter.
• US External Debt: USD mn data is updated quarterly, available from Jun 2003 to Sep 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 26,895.8 USD bn in Jun 2024 and a record low of 6,570.2 USD bn in Jun 2003.

The US Department of Treasury provides External Debt in USD based on BPM6. External Debt prior to Q3 2014 is based on BPM5.


Related information about US External Debt

• In the latest reports of US, Current Account recorded a deficit of 310.9 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) increased by 96.6 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• US Direct Investment Abroad expanded by 96.8 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• Its Foreign Portfolio Investment increased by 637.6 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• The country's Nominal GDP was reported at 6,632.4 USD bn in Mar 2023.

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 Q1 2025 about foreign, debt, federal, GDP, and USA.

The statistic shows the national debt of countries in the ASEAN region of Asia in relation to gross domestic product (GDP) from 2020 to 2030. The ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. In 2021, the national debt of Myanmar amounted to ***** percent of the country's gross domestic product.