In 2024, the national debt of India amounted to around 3.16 trillion U.S. dollars. Projections show an upward trend, with a significant increase each year. Honor thy national debtNational debt, also called government debt or public debt, is money owed by the federal government. It can be divided into internal debt, (which is owed to lenders in the country) and external debt (which is owed to foreign lenders). National debt is created and increased by using government bonds, for example, or by borrowing money from other nations due to financial struggles (well-known case in point: Greece). A quite complex issue, national debt is expected to be paid back in accordance with certain regulations overseen by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), a financial organization owned by central banks. India’s debt is rising, but so is its economic growthIndia’s liabilities have increased significantly, and forecasts show no end in sight. While India is a fast-growing economy and considered one of the main emerging economies, the so-called BRIC countries, India has been investing and borrowing money from commercial banks as well as several non-banking finance companies, and its national debt today makes up almost 70 percent of its GDP. Luckily, even though the national debt is forecast to increase, this share of GDP is predicted to decrease, as is the trade deficit in the long run, despite a significant jump back into the red in 2017.

External Debt in India increased to 736300 USD Million in the first quarter of 2025 from 717900 USD Million in the fourth quarter of 2024. This dataset provides - India External Debt - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Key information about India External Debt

• India External Debt reached 711.8 USD bn in Sep 2024, compared with 682.2 USD bn in the previous quarter.
• India External Debt: USD mn data is updated quarterly, available from Sep 1999 to Sep 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 711.8 USD bn in Sep 2024 and a record low of 96.4 USD bn in Sep 2000.

Related information about India External Debt

• In the latest reports of India, Current Account recorded a deficit of 11.2 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) increased by 5.0 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• India Direct Investment Abroad expanded by 7.3 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• Its Foreign Portfolio Investment increased by 19.8 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• The country's Nominal GDP was reported at 873.7 USD bn in Mar 2023.

India recorded a Government Debt to GDP of 81.59 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2023. This dataset provides - India Government Debt To GDP - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Key information about India Government Debt: % of GDP

• India Government debt accounted for 57.2 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Sep 2024, compared with the ratio of 57.1 % 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 58.8 % 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.

The statistic shows the national debt in India from 2020 to 2023 in relation to gross domestic product (GDP), with projections up until 2030. In 2023, the national debt of India amounted to about 81.23 percent of the gross domestic product. India’s economy on the rise India is one of the most populous countries in the world, and although a large share of inhabitants are living below the poverty line – or probably due to this fact –, the country’s economy is growing steadily. India’s GDP growth is expected to remain steady at more than 7 percent for the next few years, which is almost double that of the global GDP, and both GDP and GDP per capita are expected to increase significantly. Almost half of India’s workforce is employed in the agricultural sector, but services and industry share the other half quite equally. India’s GDP is mostly generated by the services sector, which includes transport, retailing, and offering services in the hospitality and tourism industry. India’s trade balance has been in the red for a decade now, but seems to recover slowly. A trade deficit usually means that a country’s import costs are higher than the amount of money generated with exporting goods. India’s imports could not be compensated for by the country’s exports, as imports have been consistently, even if only slightly, higher over the years both in terms of volume and value. Still, all signs point to India’s economy growing and thriving, reducing India’s debt (as seen above) and unemployment rate, enabling the inhabitants to create a better life for themselves.

India External Debt: USD: IMF data was reported at 21.581 USD bn in Dec 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 22.445 USD bn for Sep 2024. India External Debt: USD: IMF data is updated quarterly, averaging 5.534 USD bn from Sep 1999 (Median) to Dec 2024, with 102 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 23.314 USD bn in Sep 2021 and a record low of 0.000 USD mn in Dec 2003. India External Debt: USD: IMF data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Finance. The data is categorized under Global Database’s India – Table IN.FK003: External Debt:: USD.

The value of government net debt in India in March 2025 was forecasted to be over *** trillion Indian rupees, an increase from around *** trillion rupees in March 2020. The government debt is estimated to reach over *** trillion in 2030.

Key information about India National Government Debt

• India National Government Debt reached 2,144.6 USD bn in Sep 2024, compared with 2,113.5 USD bn in the previous quarter.
• India National Government Debt data is updated quarterly, available from Dec 1998 to Sep 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 2,144.6 USD bn in Sep 2024 and a record low of 232.8 USD bn in Dec 1998.

CEIC converts quarterly Government Debt into USD. The Ministry of Finance provides Government Debt in local currency. The Federal Reserve Board period end market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. Government Debt covers Central Government only.


Related information about India National Government Debt

• In the latest reports, India Consolidated Fiscal Balance recorded a deficit equal to 4.6 % of its Nominal GDP in Sep 2024.
• The country's Government debt accounted for 58.3 % of its Nominal GDP in Sep 2024.
• India Nominal GDP reached 873.7 USD bn in Mar 2023.

In financial year 2022, the internal debt of the central government of India amounted to around *** trillion Indian rupees, an increase from the previous year. It was estimated, that the internal debt would reach nearly *** trillion rupees in 2024.

Debt service on external debt, total (TDS, current US$) in India was reported at 82272602622 USD in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. India - Debt service on external debt, total (TDS, current US$) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

India External Debt: Total External Debt per Capita data was reported at 0.000 USD mn in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.000 USD mn for 2022. India External Debt: Total External Debt per Capita data is updated yearly, averaging 0.000 USD mn from Dec 1970 (Median) to 2023, with 54 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.000 USD mn in 2023 and a record low of 0.000 USD mn in 1970. India External Debt: Total External Debt per Capita data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s India – Table IN.World Bank.IDS: External Debt: Debt Outstanding, Debt Ratio and Debt Service: Annual. 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.

Key information about India External Debt: % of GDP

• India External Debt accounted for 18.9 % of the country's Nominal GDP in 2023, compared with the ratio of 20.0 % in the previous year.
• India External Debt: % of Nominal GDP data is updated yearly, available from Mar 1970 to Mar 2023.
• The data reached an all-time high of 38.2 % in Mar 1992 and a record low of 10.9 % in Mar 1980.

CEIC calculates External Debt as % of Nominal GDP from annual External Debt and annual Nominal GDP. The Ministry of Finance provides External Debt in local currency. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation provides Nominal GDP in local currency based on SNA 2008, at 2011-2012 prices. External Debt as % of Nominal GDP is in annual frequency, ending in March of each year.


Related information about India External Debt: % of GDP

• In the latest reports of India, Current Account recorded a deficit of 1.3 USD bn in Mar 2023.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) increased by 9.3 USD bn in Mar 2023.
• India Direct Investment Abroad expanded by 3.0 USD bn in Mar 2023.
• Its Foreign Portfolio Investment fell by 1.6 USD bn in Mar 2023.
• The country's External Debt reached 624,653.7 in Mar 2023.
• The country's Nominal GDP was reported at 873.7 USD bn in Mar 2023.

External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) in India was reported at 646787065275 USD in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. India - External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

India External Debt: USD: Total data was reported at 529.685 USD bn in 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 471.308 USD bn for 2017. India External Debt: USD: Total data is updated yearly, averaging 92.695 USD bn from Mar 1970 (Median) to 2018, with 49 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 529.685 USD bn in 2018 and a record low of 10.045 USD bn in 1970. India External Debt: USD: Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Finance. The data is categorized under Global Database’s India – Table IN.FC004: External Debt: USD (Annual).

In the financial year 2024, India's household debt reached around *** billion U.S. dollars, an increase from previous year's figures. India's household debt has witnessed an upward trend in the last decade. Household debt includes consumer durables, housing and other personal loans.

This dataset contains the share of different types of currencies in the total External Debt. This includes Indian Rupee, US Dollar, Special Drawing Rights, Japanese Yen, and Euro

India IN: External Debt: UND: Undisbursed: Total data was reported at 54.557 USD bn in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 54.068 USD bn for 2022. India IN: External Debt: UND: Undisbursed: Total data is updated yearly, averaging 22.637 USD bn from Dec 1970 (Median) to 2023, with 54 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 56.801 USD bn in 2020 and a record low of 1.891 USD bn in 1970. India IN: External Debt: UND: Undisbursed: Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s India – Table IN.World Bank.IDS: External Debt: Terms and Undisbursed Debt: Annual. Undisbursed debt is the total public and publicly guaranteed debt undrawn at year end; data for private nonguaranteed debt are not available. Public and publicly guaranteed long-term debt are aggregated. Public debt is an external obligation of a public debtor, including the national government, a political subdivision (or an agency of either), and autonomous public bodies. Publicly guaranteed debt is an external obligation of a private debtor that is guaranteed for repayment by a public entity. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

As of December 2024, Japan held United States treasury securities totaling about 1.06 trillion U.S. dollars. Foreign holders of United States treasury debt According to the Federal Reserve and U.S. Department of the Treasury, foreign countries held a total of 8.5 trillion U.S. dollars in U.S. treasury securities as of December 2024. Of the total held by foreign countries, Japan and Mainland China held the greatest portions, with China holding 759 billion U.S. dollars in U.S. securities. The U.S. public debt In 2023, the United States had a total public national debt of 33.2 trillion U.S. dollars, an amount that has been rising steadily, particularly since 2008. In 2023, the total interest expense on debt held by the public of the United States reached 678 billion U.S. dollars, while 197 billion U.S. dollars in interest expense were intra governmental debt holdings. Total outlays of the U.S. government were 6.1 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023. By 2029, spending is projected to reach 8.3 trillion U.S. dollars.

In the financial year 2026, the estimated gross fiscal deficit in India was expected to be *** percent of the GDP. This would be a decrease from the previous year's deficit in the country. What is fiscal deficit? The fiscal deficit of the government is the difference between the total expenditure incurred and the total non-debt capital receipts of the government. It indicates the total borrowing requirements of the government. Impact from the pandemic Due to concerns over gradually slowing economic growth, the government increased its fiscal spending in early 2019. With the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and consequent lockdown, the unprecedented financial stimulus package led to the worsening of the gross fiscal deficit. This further stressed the tax revenue system across the country. A major impact of the pandemic was the projection of negative quarterly growth of GDP in June 2020 across India.