The national debt of China amounted to 16.65 trillion U.S. dollars in 2024. Following a continuous upward trend, the national debt has risen by 16.46 trillion U.S. dollars since 1995. Between 2024 and 2030, the national debt will rise by 12.97 trillion U.S. dollars, continuing its consistent upward trajectory.

Key information about China Government Debt: % of GDP

• China Government debt accounted for 27.6 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Jun 2025, compared with the ratio of 26.5 % in the previous quarter.
• China government debt to GDP ratio data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 2014 to Jun 2025.
• The data reached an all-time high of 27.6 % in Jun 2025 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 4,736.4 USD bn in Dec 2024.
• The country's Nominal GDP reached 4,953.4 USD bn in Sep 2025.

China recorded a Government Debt to GDP of 88.30 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2024. This dataset provides - China Government Debt To GDP - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The graph shows national debt in China related to gross domestic product until 2024, with forecasts to 2030. In 2024, gross national debt ranged at around 88 percent of the national gross domestic product. The debt-to-GDP ratio In economics, the ratio between a country's government debt and its gross domestic product (GDP) is generally defined as the debt-to-GDP ratio. It is a useful indicator for investors to measure a country's ability to fulfill future payments on its debts. A low debt-to-GDP ratio also suggests that an economy produces and sells a sufficient amount of goods and services to pay back those debts. Among the important industrial and emerging countries, Japan displayed one of the highest debt-to-GDP ratios. In 2024, the estimated national debt of Japan amounted to about 250 percent of its GDP, up from around 180 percent in 2004. One reason behind Japan's high debt load lies in its low annual GDP growth rate. Development in China China's national debt related to GDP grew slowly but steadily from around 23 percent in 2000 to 34 percent in 2012, only disrupted by the global financial crisis in 2008. In recent years, China increased credit financing to spur economic growth, resulting in higher levels of debt. China's real estate crisis and a difficult global economic environment require further stimulating measures by the government and will predictably lead to even higher debt growth in the years ahead.

Graph and download economic data for General government gross debt for China (GGGDTACNA188N) from 1995 to 2024 about China, debt, gross, and government.

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.

Key information about China External Debt: % of GDP

• China External Debt accounted for 12.9 % of the country's Nominal GDP in 2024, compared with the ratio of 13.4 % in the previous year.
• China External Debt: % of Nominal GDP data is updated yearly, available from Dec 1985 to Dec 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 16.7 % in Dec 2014 and a record low of 5.1 % in Dec 1985.

CEIC calculates External Debt as % of Nominal GDP from annual External Debt and annual Nominal GDP. The State Administration of Foreign Exchange provides External Debt in USD. The National Bureau of Statistics provides Nominal GDP in local currency. Federal Reserve Board average market exchange rate is used for currency conversions.


Related information about China External Debt: % of GDP

• In the latest reports of China, Current Account recorded a surplus of 195.6 USD bn in Sep 2025.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) increased by 8.5 USD bn in Sep 2025.
• China Direct Investment Abroad expanded by 39.9 USD bn in Sep 2025.
• Its Foreign Portfolio Investment increased by 8.3 USD bn in Jun 2025.
• The country's External Debt reached 2,436,751.9 in Jun 2025.
• The country's Nominal GDP was reported at 4,953.4 USD bn in Sep 2025.

In 2024, total debt of nonfinancial sectors in China have grown to around ***** percent of the domestic gross domestic product (GDP). Over the last two decades, China's total debt increased by one of the fastest paces among major economies in the world.

Graph and download economic data for Federal Debt Held by Foreign and International Investors (FDHBFIN) from Q1 1970 to Q2 2025 about foreign, debt, federal, and USA.

Key information about China External Debt

• China External Debt reached 2,436.8 USD bn in Jun 2025, compared with 2,451.4 USD bn in the previous quarter.
• China External Debt: USD mn data is updated quarterly, available from Jun 2003 to Jun 2025.

The State Administration of Foreign Exchange provides quartely External Debt in USD.


Related information about China External Debt

• In the latest reports of China, Current Account recorded a surplus of 195.6 USD bn in Sep 2025.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) increased by 8.5 USD bn in Sep 2025.
• China Direct Investment Abroad expanded by 39.9 USD bn in Sep 2025.
• Its Foreign Portfolio Investment increased by 8.3 USD bn in Jun 2025.
• The country's Nominal GDP was reported at 4,953.4 USD bn in Sep 2025.

In 2024, the total debt of nonfinancial sectors in China have grown to around ***** percent of the domestic gross domestic product (GDP). Private households had accumulated a total debt of ** percent of the GDP that year.

Key information about Hong Kong SAR (China) Government Debt: % of GDP

• Hong Kong SAR (China) Government debt accounted for 49.1 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Mar 2024, compared with the ratio of 50.2 % in the previous year.
• Hong Kong SAR (China) government debt to GDP ratio data is updated yearly, available from Mar 2003 to Mar 2024.

*This indicator will be no longer available from March 2026, 4th onwards. CEIC has a plan to remove the non-standard frequency indicator after the standard frequency indicator has been added and be available on this table. CEIC calculates Government Debt as % of Nominal GDP from annual Government Debt and quarterly Nominal GDP. The Treasury provides Government Debt in local currency. Census and Statistics Department provides Nominal GDP in local currency. Government Debt covers Provision for pensions, Bonds and Notes issued and Other Liabilities. Government Debt as % of Nominal GDP is in annual frequency, ending in March of each year.


Related information about Hong Kong SAR (China) Government Debt: % of GDP

• In the latest reports, Hong Kong SAR (China) National Government Debt reached 190.1 USD bn in Mar 2024.
• The country's Nominal GDP reached 109.2 USD bn in Sep 2025.

Key information about Hong Kong SAR (China) National Government Debt

• Hong Kong SAR (China) National Government Debt reached 190.1 USD bn in Mar 2024, compared with 181.7 USD bn in the previous year.
• Hong Kong SAR (China) National Government Debt data is updated yearly, available from Mar 2003 to Mar 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 190.1 USD bn in Mar 2024 and a record low of 45.3 USD bn in Mar 2003.

CEIC converts annual Government Debt into USD. The Treasury provides Government Debt in local currency. The Federal Reserve Board period end market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. Government Debt covers Provision for Pensions, Bonds and Notes Issued and Other Liabilities. Government Debt is in annual frequency, ending in March of each year.


Related information about Hong Kong SAR (China) National Government Debt

• In the latest reports, Hong Kong SAR (China) Consolidated Fiscal Balance recorded a deficit equal to 6.1 % of its Nominal GDP in Sep 2024.
• The country's Government debt accounted for 49.1 % of its Nominal GDP in Mar 2024.
• Hong Kong SAR (China) Nominal GDP reached 91.4 USD bn in Mar 2023.

Historical dataset showing China national debt by year from N/A to N/A.

In 2023, China held **** percent of foreign held U.S. securities. Japan held a further **** percent of foreign held securities. The national debt of the United Stated can be found here.

China Local Government Debt Outstanding data was reported at 24,000,000.000 RMB mn in 2014. This records an increase from the previous number of 15,885,832.000 RMB mn for 2012. China Local Government Debt Outstanding data is updated yearly, averaging 9,867,197.000 RMB mn from Dec 2007 (Median) to 2014, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 24,000,000.000 RMB mn in 2014 and a record low of 4,509,831.000 RMB mn in 2007. China Local Government Debt Outstanding data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Audit Office. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Government and Public Finance – Table CN.FA: Government Debt: National Audit Office.

This statistic shows the national debt of important industrial and emerging countries in 2024 in relation to the gross domestic product (GDP). In 2024, the national debt of China was at about 88.33 percent of the gross domestic product.

China Local Government Debt: Invest To: Manufacturing Industry data was reported at 128,287.000 RMB mn in 2010. China Local Government Debt: Invest To: Manufacturing Industry data is updated yearly, averaging 128,287.000 RMB mn from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2010, with 1 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 128,287.000 RMB mn in 2010 and a record low of 128,287.000 RMB mn in 2010. China Local Government Debt: Invest To: Manufacturing Industry data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Audit Office. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Government and Public Finance – Table CN.FA: Government Debt: National Audit Office.

Actual value and historical data chart for China Interest Payments Percent Of Revenue

Debt-trap diplomacy is a term in international finance which describes a creditor country or institution extending debt to a borrowing nation partially, or solely, to increase the lender's political leverage. The term was coined by Indian academic Brahma Chellaney.

The creditor country is said to extend excessive credit to a debtor country with the intention of extracting economic or political concessions when the debtor country becomes unable to meet its repayment obligations.The conditions of the loans are often not publicized, and benefit the lender. The borrowed money commonly pays for contractors and materials sourced from the creditor country. Although the term is most commonly associated with China, it has also been applied to the International Monetary Fund (IMF); both allegations, however, are disputed. The term "debt-trap diplomacy" began to be used in United States government documents during the Trump administration. A number of U.S. government documents refer to it, including the 2020 Department of State report "The Elements of the China Challenge".

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