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Economy > Public debt: Countries Compared

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DEFINITION: This entry records the cumulatiive total of all government borrowings less repayments that are denominated in a country's home currency. Public debt should not be confused with external debt, which reflects the foreign currency liabilities of both the private and public sector and must be financed out of foreign exchange earnings.
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# COUNTRY AMOUNT DATE GRAPH HISTORY
1 Zimbabwe 244.2% of GDP 2012
2 Japan 219.1% of GDP 2012
3 Greece 156.9% of GDP 2012
4 Saint Kitts and Nevis 144% of GDP 2012
5 Jamaica 132.9% of GDP 2012
6 Iceland 131.8% of GDP 2012
7 Italy 126.9% of GDP 2012
8 Eritrea 125.8% of GDP 2012
9 Portugal 123.6% of GDP 2012
10 Lebanon 119.6% of GDP 2012
11 Ireland 117.6% of GDP 2012
12 Singapore 111.4% of GDP 2012
13 Grenada 110% of GDP 2012
Group of 7 countries (G7) average (profile) 108.77% of GDP 2012
14 Sudan 101.7% of GDP 2012
15 Belgium 99.6% of GDP 2012
Heavily indebted countries average (profile) 99.55% of GDP 2012
16 Puerto Rico 93.2% of GDP 2012
17 France 90.3% of GDP 2012
18 Antigua and Barbuda 89% of GDP 2012
19 United Kingdom 88.7% of GDP 2012
20 Egypt 88% of GDP 2012
21 Cape Verde 86.2% of GDP 2012
22 Cyprus 85.8% of GDP 2012
23 Barbados 85.6% of GDP 2012
24 Canada 85.4% of GDP 2012
25 Belize 84.6% of GDP 2012
26 Spain 84.1% of GDP 2012
27 Germany 81% of GDP 2012
28 Hungary 79.3% of GDP 2012
29 Sri Lanka 79.1% of GDP 2012
Eurozone average (profile) 77.91% of GDP 2012
30 Saint Lucia 77% of GDP 2012
=31 Jordan 75.5% of GDP 2012
=31 Sao Tome and Principe 75.5% of GDP 2012
33 Austria 74.1% of GDP 2012
High income OECD countries average (profile) 73.03% of GDP 2012
34 Malta 71.3% of GDP 2012
35 Morocco 71.2% of GDP 2012
36 Netherlands 71.1% of GDP 2012
=37 Dominica 70% of GDP 2012
=37 United States 70% of GDP 2012
39 Seychelles 68.4% of GDP 2012
40 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 68% of GDP 2011
European Union average (profile) 67.79% of GDP 2012
41 Israel 66.9% of GDP 2012
NATO countries average (profile) 66.69% of GDP 2012
Former British colonies average (profile) 64.47% of GDP 2012
Non-religious countries average (profile) 63.02% of GDP 2012
42 Malawi 62.7% of GDP 2012
43 Serbia 62% of GDP 2012
Potential Future EU Members average (profile) 60.01% of GDP 2012
44 Guyana 59.5% of GDP 2012
45 Uruguay 59.4% of GDP 2012
46 El Salvador 59.2% of GDP 2012
=47 Albania 58.8% of GDP 2012
=47 Brazil 58.8% of GDP 2012
Europe average (profile) 58.75% of GDP 2012
49 Nicaragua 58.6% of GDP 2012
50 Mauritius 57.7% of GDP 2012
51 Bahrain 54.2% of GDP 2012
52 Croatia 53.7% of GDP 2012
53 Fiji 53.5% of GDP 2012
54 Malaysia 53.3% of GDP 2012
55 Finland 53.1% of GDP 2012
56 Kenya 52.5% of GDP 2012
=57 Syria 52.4% of GDP 2012
=57 Switzerland 52.4% of GDP 2011
=59 Slovakia 52.1% of GDP 2012
=59 Montenegro 52.1% of GDP 2012
=59 Pakistan 52.1% of GDP 2012
62 Costa Rica 51.9% of GDP 2012
63 India 51.7% of GDP 2012
64 Philippines 51.5% of GDP 2012
65 Burundi 50.3% of GDP 2012
66 Ghana 50% of GDP 2012
67 Laos 49.1% of GDP 2012
68 Poland 48.3% of GDP 2012
69 Vietnam 48.1% of GDP 2012
70 Cote d'Ivoire 47.8% of GDP 2012
71 Slovenia 47.6% of GDP 2012
72 Aruba 46.3% of GDP 2005
73 Tunisia 46.1% of GDP 2012
=74 Thailand 45.7% of GDP 2012
=74 Czech Republic 45.7% of GDP 2012
76 Denmark 45.6% of GDP 2012
South Asia average (profile) 45.02% of GDP 2012
77 Argentina 44.8% of GDP 2012
78 Bhutan 44.1% of GDP 2012
79 Bosnia and Herzegovina 43.8% of GDP 2012
Middle Eastern and North Africa average (profile) 43.76% of GDP 2012
80 United Arab Emirates 42.6% of GDP 2012
81 South Africa 42.3% of GDP 2012
82 Mozambique 42.2% of GDP 2012
83 Yemen 41.8% of GDP 2012
84 Tanzania 41.7% of GDP 2012
=85 Serbia and Montenegro 41.5% of GDP 2010
=85 Dominican Republic 41.5% of GDP 2012
87 Armenia 41.4% of GDP 2012
88 Lithuania 41% of GDP 2012
Eastern Europe average (profile) 40.93% of GDP 2012
89 Latvia 40.7% of GDP 2012
90 Colombia 40.5% of GDP 2012
91 Ethiopia 39.7% of GDP 2012
92 Panama 39.6% of GDP 2012
93 Senegal 38.8% of GDP 2012
Religious countries average (profile) 38.29% of GDP 2012
94 Sweden 38.2% of GDP 2012
95 New Zealand 38.1% of GDP 2012
96 Trinidad and Tobago 37.9% of GDP 2012
97 Hong Kong 37.8% of GDP 2012
98 Turkey 37.6% of GDP 2012
Emerging markets average (profile) 37.54% of GDP 2012
99 Romania 37.2% of GDP 2012
100 Ukraine 36.6% of GDP 2012
101 Sierra Leone 36.5% of GDP 2012
102 Georgia 36.3% of GDP 2012
Former Spanish colonies average (profile) 35.91% of GDP 2012
=103 Taiwan 35.8% of GDP 2012
=103 Mexico 35.8% of GDP 2012
=103 Cuba 35.8% of GDP 2012
=103 Honduras 35.8% of GDP 2012
107 South Korea 35.1% of GDP 2012
=108 Republic of Macedonia 34% of GDP 2012
=108 Bolivia 34% of GDP 2012
110 Qatar 32.8% of GDP 2012
111 Australia 32.4% of GDP 2012
112 Bangladesh 32.2% of GDP 2012
113 Benin 31.9% of GDP 2012
114 Congo, Republic of the 31.8% of GDP 2012
115 China 31.7% of GDP 2012
116 Belarus 31.5% of GDP 2012
117 Chad 31.3% of GDP 2012
=118 Guatemala 29.5% of GDP 2012
=118 Zambia 29.5% of GDP 2012
120 Norway 29.1% of GDP 2012
121 Mali 27.5% of GDP 2012
122 Venezuela 26.8% of GDP 2012
123 Uganda 26.3% of GDP 2012
124 Namibia 25.8% of GDP 2012
125 Papua New Guinea 25.5% of GDP 2012
Former Soviet republics average (profile) 23.83% of GDP 2012
126 Indonesia 23% of GDP 2012
127 Gabon 22.2% of GDP 2012
=128 Rwanda 21.7% of GDP 2012
=128 Anguilla 21.7% of GDP 2012
130 Ecuador 21% of GDP 2012
131 Luxembourg 20.8% of GDP 2012
OPEC countries average (profile) 18.59% of GDP 2012
132 Iran 18.4% of GDP 2012
133 Nigeria 17.9% of GDP 2012
134 Moldova 17.8% of GDP 2012
135 Botswana 17.4% of GDP 2012
136 Angola 17.2% of GDP 2012
137 Peru 16.6% of GDP 2012
138 Bulgaria 16.3% of GDP 2013
139 Cameroon 16.1% of GDP 2012
140 Paraguay 14.7% of GDP 2012
141 Kazakhstan 13.2% of GDP 2012
142 Chile 11.9% of GDP 2012
143 Saudi Arabia 11.8% of GDP 2012
144 Equatorial Guinea 9.3% of GDP 2012
145 Algeria 8.3% of GDP 2012
146 Azerbaijan 7.8% of GDP 2012
147 Russia 7.7% of GDP 2012
148 Gibraltar 7.5% of GDP 2008
149 Uzbekistan 6.2% of GDP 2012
150 Kuwait 6% of GDP 2012
151 Estonia 5.8% of GDP 2012
152 Wallis and Futuna 5.6% of GDP 2004
153 Kosovo 5.5% of GDP 2011
154 Oman 4.3% of GDP 2012
155 Libya 4.1% of GDP 2012
156 Liberia 0.4% of GDP 2012

Citation

"Countries Compared by Economy > Public debt. International Statistics at NationMaster.com", CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011. Aggregates compiled by NationMaster. Retrieved from http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/stats/Economy/Public-debt

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Economy > Public debt: Countries Compared Map

NationMaster

Interesting observations about Economy > Public debt

  • 7 of the top 9 countries by public debt are Christian.
  • Liberia has ranked last for public debt since 2011.
  • Zimbabwe has ranked in the top 2 for public debt since 2007.
  • Japan has ranked in the top 2 for public debt since 2009.
  • 5 of the top 11 countries by public debt are European.
  • 4 of the top 9 countries by public debt are NATO.
  • Greece has ranked #3 in public debt since 2010.
  • 11 of the top 28 countries by public debt are European Union.
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis has ranked in the top 4 for public debt since 2009.
  • Jamaica has ranked in the top 8 for public debt since 2003.

0

Hello, This is an interesting site with a staggering amount of information. My only real concern is that the data defined and listed under the categories might not be a true reflection of the category name. Read the definitions carefully before you make any assumptions from the data.

Posted on 05 Jul 2011

Al

Al

0

I think everyone is getting confused about PUBLIC SECTOR debt in their commentary...

Posted on 13 Jul 2010

Laupi

Laupi

0

I would rather have a slow economy then to pay interest atleast the people will not be enslaved for the rest if their lives that's probably why interest is forbidden i think that interest was invented by the devil him self! We are basicly all slaves. Why is is that a builder builds though out his 45 year career the eqvilient of around 670 homes on his own but is in debt for his small house for his entire life? Isn't that slavery?

Posted on 27 Apr 2010

Frayser

Frayser

0

Pie is delicious but i dont see the connection to this topic unfortunatly .

Posted on 08 Mar 2010

Milly

Milly

0

I dont put alot of trust in these numbers as Norway is number 13 on the list. Norway has net negative debt = positive financial assets mainly because of huge oil wealth.

Posted on 26 Jan 2010

tklung

tklung

0

The top countries in this list, Japan, Zimbabwe are having economic troubles. Japan has suffered a long recession but also has a lot of value to their economy so they can mortgage quite heavily and need to stimulate the economy. Zimbabwe I would assume has had their currency devalue. In reality they have no capacity to repay this.

Posted on 12 May 2009

namu

namu

0

I hope that Islamic nations become more prosperous and reevaluate their attitude toward debt. Carrying some level of debt greatly encourages the economy

Posted on 12 May 2009

namic

namic

0

There are also economic basketcases down the bottom like Ukraine and Equatorial Guinea. These countries may not have much to mortgage

Posted on 12 May 2009

namoq

namoq

Factoid #271

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