Public Debt As % of GDP By Country January 2022

The Public Debt (% of GDP) is a measure that represents the percentage of a country's gross domestic product (GDP) accounted for by its public debt. It provides insights into the level of government borrowing and the sustainability of public finances. Monitoring this measure allows individuals to stay updated on the fiscal challenges faced by governments, the burden on future generations, and the potential impact on economic stability and growth.

As of January 2020, Japan had the highest public debt as a percentage of GDP, standing at 237.1%. Greece followed closely in second place with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 183.3%, and Venezuela ranked third with 175.6%. These countries faced significant challenges in managing their public finances and reducing their debt burdens. On the other hand, countries like Brunei, Hong Kong, and Macau had relatively low levels of public debt as a percentage of GDP.

In January 2021, Eritrea had the highest debt-to-GDP ratio at 265.8%, indicating a significant burden on its economy. Japan maintained a high level of public debt at 237.4%, while Venezuela remained in the top three with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 232.8%. Libya and Timor-Leste also had notable levels of public debt compared to their GDP. Brunei continued to have a relatively low debt-to-GDP ratio of 2.5%.

Moving to January 2022, Venezuela had the highest debt-to-GDP ratio at 304.1%, signaling a severe fiscal crisis. Sudan ranked second with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 263%, followed by Japan with 256.2%. Libya and Afghanistan also faced significant levels of public debt. Brunei's debt-to-GDP ratio increased slightly to 2.9%.

Monitoring the Public Debt (% of GDP) provides valuable insights into the fiscal health of countries and the sustainability of their public finances. High levels of public debt can strain government budgets, increase borrowing costs, and limit fiscal policy flexibility. It is crucial to keep track of these figures to assess the potential risks and challenges associated with public debt and its impact on economic stability and growth.

Public Debt As % of GDP By Country January 2022 (%, January 2022)

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Latest Data

January 2022

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Segment

Country

Publisher

The Heritage Foundation

Previous Records

January 2022

January 2021

January 2020

Rank	Country	%
1	Venezuela	304.1
2	Sudan	263
3	Japan	256.2
4	Greece	213.1
5	Eritrea	184.7
6	Suriname	165.8
7	Italy	155.6
8	Lebanon	154.4
9	Barbados	149
10	Maldives	142.6
11	Cape Verde	139
12	Bahrain	132.9
13	Portugal	131.6
14	Singapore	128.4
15	Belize	127.4
16	Angola	127.1
16	United States	127.1
17	Mozambique	122.2
18	Bhutan	120.7
19	Cyprus	118.2
20	Canada	117.8
20	Zambia	117.8
21	Spain	117.1
22	Belgium	115
23	France	114
24	Montenegro	108.8
25	Jamaica	105.6
26	United Kingdom	103.7
27	Argentina	103
28	Republic of the Congo	101.7
29	Sri Lanka	100.1
30	Brazil	98.9
31	Seychelles	98.4
32	Dominica	97.1
33	Egypt	90.2
34	India	89.6
35	Zimbabwe	88.9
36	Jordan	88.5
37	El Salvador	88.2
38	Mauritius	87.8
39	Tunisia	87.6
40	Croatia	87.2
40	Pakistan	87.2
40	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	87.2
41	Austria	85.2
42	Saint Lucia	84.4
43	Yemen	83.2
44	Slovenia	81.5
45	Sao Tome and Principe	81.4
46	Hungary	81.2
46	Iraq	81.2
47	Oman	81.1
48	Iceland	79.9
49	Guinea-Bissau	78.1
50	Ghana	78
51	South Africa	77.1
52	Mongolia	76.6
53	Morocco	76.1
54	Albania	76
55	Gambia	75.8
56	Kyrgyzstan	74.3
57	Fiji	73.7
58	Israel	73
59	Gabon	72.5
60	Sierra Leone	71.9
61	Qatar	71.8
62	Burundi	69.5
63	Cuba	69.4
63	Dominican Republic	69.4
64	Germany	68.9
65	Kenya	68.7
66	Bahamas	68.6
67	Costa Rica	68.3
68	Laos	68
69	Malaysia	67.5
70	Bolivia	67.3
70	Malawi	67.3
71	Finland	67.1
72	China	66.8
73	Uruguay	66.3
74	Senegal	65.8
75	Namibia	65.7
76	Ecuador	64.6
77	Panama	63.5
78	Australia	63.1
79	Armenia	62.8
79	Colombia	62.8
80	Liberia	61.8
81	Rwanda	61
82	Slovakia	60.7
82	Ukraine	60.7
83	Georgia	60.6
83	Mexico	60.6
84	Ireland	59.8
85	Mauritania	59.5
86	Trinidad and Tobago	59.4
87	Serbia	58.4
88	Poland	57.7
89	Togo	57.6
90	Malta	55.4
91	Ethiopia	55.3
92	Netherlands	54
93	Algeria	53.1
94	Syria	52.7
95	North Macedonia	51.3
96	Equatorial Guinea	51.1
97	Lesotho	50.3
98	Romania	50.1
99	Thailand	49.6
100	Papua New Guinea	49.2
101	Honduras	48.9
102	South Korea	48.7
103	Tajikistan	48.1
104	Belarus	48
105	Eswatini	47.1
105	Philippines	47.1
106	Lithuania	47
107	Samoa	46.7
108	Vietnam	46.6
109	Nicaragua	46
110	Ivory Coast	45.7
110	Uganda	45.7
111	Latvia	45.5
112	Benin	45.4
113	Central African Republic	44.9
114	Burkina Faso	44.3
115	Mali	44.2
115	Niger	44.2
115	Vanuatu	44.2
116	Guyana	43.9
117	Madagascar	43.6
118	Denmark	43.4
119	Cameroon	43.2
120	Chad	43
121	Switzerland	42.9
122	Iran	42.8
123	Djibouti	42.2
124	Tonga	41.6
125	Guinea	41.4
125	Norway	41.4
126	Nepal	41.3
126	New Zealand	41.3
127	Myanmar	39.3
128	Bangladesh	38.9
129	Sweden	38.5
130	Bosnia and Herzegovina	38.3
130	United Arab Emirates	38.3
131	Tanzania	38.2
132	Uzbekistan	37.9
133	Czech Republic	37.6
134	Turkey	36.8
135	Indonesia	36.6
136	Peru	35.4
137	Moldova	35.3
138	Nigeria	35.1
139	Paraguay	34.8
140	Taiwan	33.7
141	Chile	32.5
142	Saudi Arabia	32.4
143	Guatemala	31.7
144	Cambodia	31.6
145	Turkmenistan	31
146	Kazakhstan	27.4
147	Comoros	26.8
148	Luxembourg	25.5
149	Haiti	25.1
150	Kosovo	24.4
151	Bulgaria	23.8
152	Azerbaijan	21.4
153	Botswana	20
154	Russia	19.3
155	Estonia	18.5
156	Kiribati	17.3
157	Micronesia	16
158	DR Congo	15.2
159	Solomon Islands	13.9
160	Timor-Leste	12.2
161	Kuwait	11.5
162	Libya	11.3
163	Afghanistan	7.8
164	Brunei	2.9