Visualized: Government Debt-to-GDP Around the World
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In 2025, public debt remains a pressing issue for many countries, with governments around the world are navigating fiscal challenges in the wake of the pandemic, geopolitical instability, and economic slowdowns.
This infographic ranks countries by their debt-to-GDP ratio, a key metric used to assess how much debt a government holds relative to its economic output. The data comes from the IMF’s World Economic Outlook, April 2025 edition.
Countries With the Highest Debt-to-GDP Ratios
Advanced economies are generally grappling with higher debt burdens than others, with an average debt-to-GDP ratio of 110%, compared to around 74% for emerging and developing economies.
The table below highlights the debt-to-GDP ratios for 186 countries in 2025:
| Rank | Country | General government gross debt (% of GDP) |
|---|---|---|
| #1 |  Sudan |
252% |
| #2 |  Japan |
235% |
| #3 |  Singapore |
175% |
| #4 |  Greece |
142% |
| #5 |  Bahrain |
141% |
| #6 |  Maldives |
141% |
| #7 |  Italy |
137% |
| #8 |  United States |
123% |
| #9 |  France |
116% |
| #10 |  Canada |
113% |
| #11 |  Senegal |
111% |
| #12 |  Ukraine |
110% |
| #13 |  Cabo Verde |
110% |
| #14 |  Belgium |
106% |
| #15 |  United Kingdom |
104% |
| #16 |  Bhutan |
103% |
| #17 |  Mozambique |
101% |
| #18 |  Spain |
101% |
| #19 |  Dominica |
98% |
| #20 |  Barbados |
98% |
| #21 |  China, People’s Republic of |
96% |
| #22 |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
94% |
| #23 |  Jordan |
93% |
| #24 |  Bolivia |
92% |
| #25 |  Brazil |
92% |
| #26 |  Portugal |
92% |
| #27 |  Congo |
91% |
| #28 |  Lao P.D.R. |
91% |
| #29 |  El Salvador |
88% |
| #30 |  Egypt |
87% |
| #31 |  Suriname |
87% |
| #32 |  Finland |
86% |
| #33 |  European Union |
84% |
| #34 |  Mauritius |
83% |
| #35 |  Austria |
83% |
| #36 |  Tunisia |
83% |
| #37 |  India |
80% |
| #38 |  South Africa |
80% |
| #39 |  Bahamas, The |
79% |
| #40 |  Guinea-Bissau |
79% |
| #41 |  Gabon |
79% |
| #42 |  Fiji |
78% |
| #43 |  Rwanda |
78% |
| #44 |  Pakistan |
74% |
| #45 |  Saint Lucia |
74% |
| #46 |  Hungary |
74% |
| #47 |  Argentina |
73% |
| #48 |  Malawi |
73% |
| #49 |  Grenada |
71% |
| #50 |  Yemen |
71% |
| #51 |  Aruba |
71% |
| #52 |  Malaysia |
70% |
| #53 |  Togo |
70% |
| #54 |  Israel |
69% |
| #55 |  Morocco |
69% |
| #56 |  Uruguay |
69% |
| #57 |  Kenya |
68% |
| #58 |  Slovenia |
68% |
| #59 |  Trinidad and Tobago |
68% |
| #60 |  Gambia, The |
68% |
| #61 |  Ghana |
66% |
| #62 |  Germany |
65% |
| #63 |  Palau |
65% |
| #64 |  Jamaica |
65% |
| #65 |  Angola |
65% |
| #66 |  Thailand |
65% |
| #67 |  San Marino |
64% |
| #68 |  Namibia |
64% |
| #69 |  Antigua and Barbuda |
63% |
| #70 |  South Sudan |
63% |
| #71 |  Myanmar |
63% |
| #72 |  Romania |
62% |
| #73 |  Mexico |
61% |
| #74 |  Poland |
61% |
| #75 |  Cyprus |
60% |
| #76 |  Montenegro |
60% |
| #77 |  Saint Kitts and Nevis |
60% |
| #78 |  Slovak Republic |
60% |
| #79 |  Colombia |
60% |
| #80 |  Costa Rica |
60% |
| #81 |  Lesotho |
60% |
| #82 |  Belize |
60% |
| #83 |  Seychelles |
59% |
| #84 |  Zimbabwe |
59% |
| #85 |  Central African Republic |
58% |
| #86 |  Dominican Republic |
58% |
| #87 |  Côte d’Ivoire |
58% |
| #88 |  Panama |
58% |
| #89 |  Philippines |
58% |
| #90 |  Algeria |
58% |
| #91 |  Liberia |
57% |
| #92 |  Croatia |
56% |
| #93 |  New Zealand |
55% |
| #94 |  Armenia |
55% |
| #95 |  Korea, Republic of |
55% |
| #96 |  Albania |
54% |
| #97 |  Uganda |
54% |
| #98 |  Iceland |
53% |
| #99 |  North Macedonia |
53% |
| #100 |  Benin |
53% |
| #101 |  Nigeria |
53% |
| #102 |  Papua New Guinea |
52% |
| #103 |  Mali |
52% |
| #104 |  Madagascar |
51% |
| #105 |  Australia |
51% |
| #106 |  Burkina Faso |
50% |
| #107 |  Iraq |
50% |
| #108 |  Nepal |
49% |
| #109 |  Malta |
49% |
| #110 |  Vanuatu |
49% |
| #111 |  Latvia |
48% |
| #112 |  Tanzania |
47% |
| #113 |  Mauritania |
46% |
| #114 |  Serbia |
44% |
| #115 |  Sierra Leone |
44% |
| #116 |  Czech Republic |
44% |
| #117 |  Tonga |
44% |
| #118 |  Paraguay |
44% |
| #119 |  Niger |
43% |
| #120 |  Netherlands |
43% |
| #121 |  Botswana |
43% |
| #122 |  Chile |
43% |
| #123 |  Honduras |
43% |
| #124 |  Belarus |
43% |
| #125 |  Norway |
43% |
| #126 |  Mongolia |
43% |
| #127 |  Ethiopia |
42% |
| #128 |  Lithuania |
42% |
| #129 |  Indonesia |
41% |
| #130 |  Qatar |
41% |
| #131 |  Bangladesh |
40% |
| #132 |  Cameroon |
40% |
| #133 |  Iran |
40% |
| #134 |  Guinea |
40% |
| #135 |  Kyrgyz Republic |
39% |
| #136 |  Nicaragua |
38% |
| #137 |  Eswatini |
38% |
| #138 |  São Tomé and PrÃncipe |
37% |
| #139 |  Switzerland |
37% |
| #140 |  Ireland |
37% |
| #141 |  Moldova |
36% |
| #142 |  Georgia |
36% |
| #143 |  Oman |
35% |
| #144 |  Burundi |
35% |
| #145 |  Equatorial Guinea |
35% |
| #146 |  Saudi Arabia |
35% |
| #147 |  Chad |
34% |
| #148 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
34% |
| #149 |  Peru |
34% |
| #150 |  Sweden |
34% |
| #151 |  Vietnam |
34% |
| #152 |  Uzbekistan |
33% |
| #153 |  United Arab Emirates |
33% |
| #154 |  Comoros |
33% |
| #155 |  Andorra |
32% |
| #156 |  Djibouti |
31% |
| #157 |  Cambodia |
29% |
| #158 |  Tajikistan |
28% |
| #159 |  Bulgaria |
28% |
| #160 |  Guyana |
28% |
| #161 |  Guatemala |
27% |
| #162 |  Türkiye |
27% |
| #163 |  Denmark |
27% |
| #164 |  Luxembourg |
26% |
| #165 |  Estonia |
25% |
| #166 |  Kazakhstan |
25% |
| #167 |  Taiwan |
24% |
| #168 |  Solomon Islands |
24% |
| #169 |  Samoa |
23% |
| #170 |  Russian Federation |
21% |
| #171 |  Azerbaijan |
21% |
| #172 |  Puerto Rico |
19% |
| #173 |  Kosovo |
19% |
| #174 |  DRC |
16% |
| #175 |  Marshall Islands |
15% |
| #176 |  Nauru |
15% |
| #177 |  Timor-Leste |
14% |
| #178 |  Haiti |
12% |
| #179 |  Hong Kong SAR |
12% |
| #180 |  Micronesia |
9% |
| #181 |  Kiribati |
9% |
| #182 |  Kuwait |
7% |
| #183 |  Turkmenistan |
5% |
| #184 |  Tuvalu |
3% |
| #185 |  Brunei Darussalam |
2% |
| #186 |  Macao SAR |
0% |
Sudan tops the list with public debt at 252% of GDP, driven by prolonged conflict and severe economic challenges. The African country unseated Japan as the country with the highest debt-to-GDP ratio in 2023, the same year in which the Sudan civil war broke out.
Japan has the highest debt burden among developed countries at 235% of GDP, with persistent fiscal deficits and an aging population contributing to its rising debt. Along with Japan, Singapore (175%), Bahrain (141%), and Italy (137%) are among the most-indebted developed nations.
The U.S. also has a high debt-to-GDP ratio of 123%, reflecting years of deficit spending and large-scale stimulus policies in response to recent economic crises like the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Germany has the lowest debt burden among G7 nations at 65% of GDP, and this is projected to fall to 58% by 2029.
The Impact of High Debt Levels
High public debt levels are typically a result of various factors, including aggressive monetary policies, quantitative easing, slow or negative economic growth, and public spending needs.
Typically, debt-to-GDP ratios balloon following periods of recessions or economic shocks, such as the 2008 Financial Crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, when governments use fiscal stimulus to improve economic health.
While debt can be helpful in dealing with economic downturns, persistent and excessive debt carries long-term risks. These include slower GDP growth, currency depreciation, and in extreme cases, sovereign defaults that require IMF-led bailouts.
However, some countries like Japan and the U.S. issue debt in their own currencies and have flexibility in managing debt loads by printing more money. Yet, even these countries face rising interest costs as debt levels increase.
Learn More on the Voronoi App 
What does the global economic growth landscape look like in 2025? Find out in this infographic Changing GDP Growth Forecasts for 2025, on the Voronoi app.
