List of countries by public debt
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Below is a list of countries and territories by public debt (also called government debt or sovereign debt[1]). Gross government debt is government financial liabilities that are debt instruments.[2]: 81 A debt instrument is a financial claim that requires payment of interest and/or principal by the debtor to the creditor in the future. Examples include debt securities (such as bonds and bills), loans, and government employee pension obligations.[2]: 207 Net debt equals gross debt minus financial assets that are debt instruments.[2]: 208, s7.243 Net debt estimates are not always available since some government assets are difficult to value, such as loans made at concessional rates.[2]: 208–209, s7.246
Changes in government debt over time reflect primarily borrowing due to past government deficits.[3] A deficit occurs when a government's expenditures exceed revenues.[4] [2]: 79–82
In the list below, government debt is measured for the general government sector because the level of government responsible for programs (for example, health care) differs across countries, and the general government comprises central, state, provincial, regional, and local governments, and social security funds.[2]: 18, s2.58, s2.59
To make the numbers comparable across countries of different size, government debt is measured as a percentage of a country's gross domestic product (GDP). For context on the magnitude of the debt numbers, European Union member countries have an agreement, the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP), to maintain a general government gross debt of no more than 60% of GDP.[5] The aim of the SGP is to prevent excessive debt burdens.[6]
Government Debt as a Percentage of GDP in 2021
Source: International Monetary Fund: World Economic Outlook Database[7]
(When data for 2021 is not available, numbers are IMF staff estimates)
Public debt per capita
The figures here are represented per capita.
* indicates "Public debt of COUNTRY or TERRITORY" or "Economy of COUNTRY or TERRITORY" links.
| Country | (PPP) [8][9][10] | (Forex) [8][9][11] | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
 Japan * |
$102,503 | $91,768 | 2017 |
 Singapore * |
$97,852 | $60,016 | 2017 |
 Qatar * |
$77,278 | $37,990 | 2017 |
 Greece * |
$50,562 | $33,905 | 2017 |
 Italy * |
$49,060 | $41,056 | 2017 |
 Ireland * |
$47,822 | $44,871 | 2017 |
 Belgium * |
$47,291 | $44,119 | 2017 |
 United States * |
$46,645 | $46,645 | 2017 |
 Canada * |
$44,348 | $41,323 | 2017 |
 Bahrain * |
$43,659 | $21,673 | 2017 |
 France * |
$41,040 | $37,189 | 2017 |
 Austria * |
$39,419 | $37,310 | 2017 |
 United Kingdom * |
$39,311 | $35,320 | 2017 |
 Portugal * |
$38,127 | $26,462 | 2017 |
 Bermuda * |
$37,015 | $37,015 | 2016 |
 Spain * |
$35,466 | $26,210 | 2017 |
 Germany * |
$33,349 | $29,394 | 2017 |
 Aruba * |
$30,674 | $19,918 | 2016 |
 Netherlands * |
$30,452 | $27,415 | 2017 |
 Barbados * |
$28,001 | $26,777 | 2017 |
 Finland * |
$27,111 | $27,986 | 2017 |
 Switzerland * |
$26,367 | $34,225 | 2017 |
 Norway * |
$25,900 | $27,095 | 2017 |
 Cyprus * |
$25,047 | $17,103 | 2017 |
 Slovenia * |
$24,939 | $17,110 | 2017 |
 Luxembourg * |
$23,582 | $23,742 | 2017 |
 Israel * |
$22,922 | $25,351 | 2017 |
 Malta * |
$21,746 | $14,204 | 2017 |
 Antigua and Barbuda * |
$21,709 | $13,796 | 2017 |
 Australia * |
$21,695 | $23,990 | 2017 |
 Hungary * |
$21,693 | $10,427 | 2017 |
 Lebanon * |
$21,238 | $13,039 | 2017 |
 Iceland * |
$21,169 | $28,505 | 2017 |
 Sweden * |
$21,048 | $21,763 | 2017 |
 Kuwait * |
$20,462 | $8,525 | 2017 |
 Puerto Rico * |
$20,360 | $16,320 | 2017 |
 Bahamas * |
$19,796 | $19,960 | 2017 |
 Oman * |
$19,326 | $7,196 | 2017 |
 U.S. Virgin Islands * |
$19,292 | $25,819 | 2017 |
 Croatia * |
$18,601 | $9,976 | 2017 |
 Seychelles * |
$18,482 | $10,068 | 2017 |
 Saint Kitts and Nevis * |
$18,363 | $11,420 | 2017 |
 Taiwan * |
$18,027 | $8,682 | 2017 |
 Denmark * |
$17,487 | $19,784 | 2017 |
 Slovakia * |
$16,798 | $8,970 | 2017 |
 Andorra * |
$15,915 | $12,973 | 2016 |
 Malaysia * |
$15,873 | $5,313 | 2017 |
 South Korea * |
$15,633 | $11,830 | 2017 |
 Uruguay * |
$15,241 | $11,540 | 2017 |
 Poland * |
$14,829 | $6,912 | 2017 |
 Equatorial Guinea * |
$14,783 | $5,858 | 2017 |
 Trinidad and Tobago * |
$14,735 | $7,834 | 2017 |
 San Marino * |
$14,726 | $11,722 | 2017 |
 United Arab Emirates * |
$14,133 | $7,769 | 2017 |
 Faroe Islands * |
$13,728 | $18,969 | 2015 |
 Mauritius * |
$13,262 | $6,253 | 2017 |
 New Zealand * |
$13,180 | $14,045 | 2017 |
 Brazil * |
$13,064 | $8,265 | 2017 |
 Lithuania * |
$13,000 | $6,717 | 2017 |
 Egypt * |
$12,474 | $2,450 | 2017 |
 Czech Republic * |
$12,206 | $7,007 | 2017 |
 Montenegro * |
$12,122 | $5,234 | 2017 |
 Argentina * |
$11,884 | $8,217 | 2017 |
 Mongolia * |
$11,701 | $3,281 | 2017 |
 Maldives * |
$11,236 | $7,335 | 2017 |
 Saint Lucia * |
$10,859 | $7,202 | 2017 |
 Gabon * |
$10,847 | $4,418 | 2017 |
 Mexico * |
$10,618 | $4,962 | 2017 |
 Panama * |
$10,353 | $6,150 | 2017 |
 Grenada * |
$10,252 | $7,021 | 2017 |
 Nauru * |
$10,235 | $7,293 | 2017 |
 Latvia * |
$10,194 | $5,724 | 2017 |
 Suriname * |
$10,069 | $3,963 | 2017 |
 Belarus * |
$10,055 | $3,051 | 2017 |
 Bhutan * |
$9,993 | $3,336 | 2017 |
 Sri Lanka * |
$9,663 | $3,060 | 2017 |
 Iraq * |
$9,644 | $2,858 | 2017 |
 Jamaica * |
$9,360 | $5,305 | 2017 |
 Serbia * |
$9,333 | $3,658 | 2017 |
 Azerbaijan * |
$9,273 | $2,190 | 2017 |
 Saudi Arabia * |
$9,226 | $3,569 | 2017 |
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines * |
$9,167 | $5,688 | 2017 |
 Dominica * |
$8,747 | $6,223 | 2017 |
 Albania * |
$8,457 | $3,070 | 2017 |
 Tunisia * |
$8,406 | $2,439 | 2017 |
 Cape Verde * |
$8,360 | $3,931 | 2017 |
 Romania * |
$8,291 | $3,634 | 2017 |
 Belize * |
$8,257 | $4,757 | 2017 |
 Costa Rica * |
$8,230 | $5,713 | 2017 |
 Jordan * |
$8,161 | $3,680 | 2017 |
 China * |
$7,878 | $4,077 | 2017 |
 Iran * |
$7,802 | $2,049 | 2017 |
 Guam * |
$7,631 | $7,631 | 2017 |
 Turkey * |
$7,613 | $2,966 | 2017 |
 Congo * |
$7,594 | $2,253 | 2017 |
 Thailand * |
$7,548 | $2,781 | 2017 |
 South Africa * |
$7,342 | $3,343 | 2017 |
 Colombia * |
$7,298 | $3,225 | 2017 |
 Curaçao * |
$6,912 | $12,375 | 2014 |
 Dominican Republic * |
$6,249 | $2,748 | 2017 |
 Ukraine * |
$5,970 | $1,811 | 2017 |
 Chile * |
$5,952 | $3,647 | 2017 |
 Cuba * |
$5,879 | $4,024 | 2017 |
 North Macedonia * |
$5,755 | $2,109 | 2017 |
 Morocco * |
$5,665 | $2,074 | 2017 |
 El Salvador * |
$5,615 | $2,723 | 2017 |
 Turkmenistan * |
$5,519 | $2,019 | 2017 |
 Greenland * |
$5,437 | $5,005 | 2016 |
 Ecuador * |
$5,311 | $2,870 | 2017 |
 Kazakhstan * |
$5,311 | $1,769 | 2017 |
 Gibraltar * |
$5,203 | $5,203 | 2014 |
 India * |
$5,202 | $1,429 | 2017 |
 Bulgaria * |
$5,198 | $1,928 | 2017 |
 Sudan * |
$5,003 | $1,292 | 2017 |
 Armenia * |
$4,990 | $2,032 | 2017 |
 Venezuela * |
$4,684 | $2,579 | 2017 |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina * |
$4,600 | $1,864 | 2017 |
 Fiji * |
$4,555 | $2,582 | 2017 |
 Guyana * |
$4,441 | $2,510 | 2017 |
 Russia * |
$4,380 | $1,721 | 2017 |
 Mauritania * |
$4,347 | $1,241 | 2017 |
 Laos * |
$4,338 | $1,492 | 2017 |
 Namibia * |
$4,337 | $2,159 | 2017 |
 Algeria * |
$4,159 | $1,106 | 2017 |
 Angola * |
$4,145 | $2,709 | 2017 |
 Vietnam * |
$3,911 | $1,329 | 2017 |
 Georgia * |
$3,632 | $1,382 | 2017 |
 Bolivia * |
$3,628 | $1,637 | 2017 |
 Indonesia * |
$3,562 | $1,112 | 2017 |
 Peru * |
$3,488 | $1,737 | 2017 |
 Ghana * |
$3,424 | $1,201 | 2017 |
 Pakistan * |
$3,420 | $983 | 2017 |
 Philippines * |
$3,305 | $1,182 | 2017 |
 Eswatini * |
$3,030 | $1,154 | 2017 |
 Estonia * |
$3,013 | $1,878 | 2017 |
 São Tomé and Príncipe * |
$2,966 | $1,699 | 2017 |
 Palau * |
$2,957 | $3,271 | 2017 |
 Samoa * |
$2,773 | $2,051 | 2017 |
 Tonga * |
$2,666 | $2,053 | 2017 |
 Zambia * |
$2,645 | $986 | 2017 |
 Paraguay * |
$2,468 | $1,081 | 2017 |
 Syria * |
$2,450 | $1,199 | 2016 |
 Botswana * |
$2,428 | $1,082 | 2017 |
 Gambia * |
$2,336 | $623 | 2017 |
 Kyrgyzstan * |
$2,216 | $724 | 2017 |
 Kosovo * |
$2,178 | $788 | 2017 |
 Moldova * |
$2,173 | $876 | 2017 |
 Brunei * |
$2,105 | $754 | 2017 |
 Eritrea * |
$2,066 | $1,277 | 2017 |
 Guatemala * |
$2,057 | $1,126 | 2017 |
 Anguilla * |
$2,024 | $2,024 | 2013 |
 Zimbabwe * |
$2,010 | $1,035 | 2017 |
 Burma * |
$1,992 | $406 | 2017 |
 Nicaragua * |
$1,992 | $756 | 2017 |
 Honduras * |
$1,992 | $988 | 2017 |
 Yemen * |
$1,913 | $813 | 2017 |
 West Bank |
$1,850 | $857 | 2015 |
 Kenya * |
$1,833 | $887 | 2017 |
 Uzbekistan * |
$1,805 | $395 | 2017 |
 Senegal * |
$1,762 | $679 | 2017 |
 Ivory Coast * |
$1,739 | $724 | 2017 |
 Northern Mariana Islands * |
$1,696 | $1,696 | 2017 |
 Tajikistan * |
$1,665 | $418 | 2017 |
 Papua New Guinea * |
$1,585 | $1,041 | 2017 |
 American Samoa * |
$1,579 | $1,579 | 2017 |
 Bangladesh * |
$1,433 | $543 | 2017 |
 Tuvalu * |
$1,394 | $1,328 | 2017 |
 Somalia * |
$1,392 | $480 | 2017 |
 Mozambique * |
$1,391 | $472 | 2017 |
 Djibouti * |
$1,309 | $730 | 2017 |
 Vanuatu * |
$1,297 | $1,462 | 2017 |
 Cameroon * |
$1,289 | $504 | 2017 |
 South Sudan * |
$1,229 | $188 | 2017 |
 Benin * |
$1,222 | $445 | 2017 |
 Nigeria * |
$1,201 | $403 | 2017 |
 Togo * |
$1,201 | $441 | 2017 |
 Cambodia * |
$1,187 | $408 | 2017 |
 Sierra Leone * |
$1,169 | $366 | 2017 |
 Lesotho * |
$1,143 | $472 | 2017 |
 Tanzania * |
$1,084 | $345 | 2017 |
 Ethiopia * |
$1,003 | $404 | 2017 |
 Chad * |
$949 | $327 | 2017 |
 Guinea-Bissau * |
$932 | $397 | 2017 |
 Guinea * |
$894 | $328 | 2017 |
 Uganda * |
$873 | $261 | 2017 |
 Micronesia * |
$823 | $775 | 2017 |
 Rwanda * |
$820 | $304 | 2017 |
 Mali * |
$792 | $295 | 2017 |
 Nepal * |
$703 | $221 | 2017 |
 Burkina Faso * |
$692 | $243 | 2017 |
 Malawi * |
$669 | $186 | 2017 |
 Marshall Islands * |
$660 | $748 | 2017 |
 Haiti * |
$576 | $248 | 2017 |
 Madagascar * |
$559 | $161 | 2017 |
 Kiribati * |
$546 | $474 | 2017 |
 Comoros * |
$520 | $257 | 2017 |
 Niger * |
$498 | $188 | 2017 |
 Liberia * |
$437 | $235 | 2017 |
 Libya * |
$431 | $213 | 2017 |
 Burundi * |
$349 | $148 | 2017 |
 Central African Republic * |
$312 | $178 | 2017 |
 East Timor * |
$213 | $80 | 2017 |
 Solomon Islands * |
$189 | $185 | 2017 |
 DR Congo * |
$146 | $88 | 2017 |
 Afghanistan * |
$139 | $41 | 2017 |
 Hong Kong * |
$63 | $47 | 2017 |
 Falkland Islands * |
$0 | $0 | 2015 |
 Macau * |
$0 | $0 | 2017 |
See also
- List of countries by future gross government debt
- List of countries by tax revenue to GDP ratio
- List of countries by credit rating
- List of countries by corporate debt
- List of countries by household debt
- List of countries by external debt
- World debt
- Nation specific
- United States public debt
- Japan public debt
- United Kingdom national debt
- Canadian public debt
- South African national debt
References
- ^ "FT Lexicon" – The Financial Times
- ^ a b c d e f International Monetary Fund (2014). "Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014" (PDF).
- ^ OECD Data. "General government debt". OECD.org.
- ^ OECD Data. "General government deficit". OECD.org.
- ^ "Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union – PROTOCOLS – Protocol (No 12) on the excessive deficit procedure".
- ^ "Applying the rules of the stability and growth pact".
- ^ International Monetary Fund (October 2022). "World Economic Outlook Database".
- ^ a b "Country Comparison :: Population — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Archived from the original on December 18, 2018.
- ^ a b "Field Listing :: Public debt — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Archived from the original on November 30, 2018.
- ^ "Field Listing :: GDP (purchasing power parity) — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Archived from the original on January 9, 2019.
- ^ "Field Listing :: GDP (official exchange rate) — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Archived from the original on January 9, 2019.