Skip to main content

Government gross debt as percentage of GDP (2026)

184/237 countries
Global76.9%of GDPYear-over-year+1.19%5-year change+0.01%
1980
2026
2031

Rankings at a glance

Top 10 · Government gross debt as percentage of GDP (2026)

Japan tops the global rankings for government gross debt as percentage of GDP, recording 204.35% of GDP in 2026, followed by Singapore (171.94% of GDP) and Sudan (169.08% of GDP). Bahrain (152.36% of GDP) and Italy (138.38% of GDP) complete the top 5. Greece (136.93% of GDP) and Senegal (132.29% of GDP) follow close behind. The Maldives (129.37% of GDP), the United States (125.78% of GDP), and Ukraine (122.56% of GDP) round out the top ten. The spread across the top ten is substantial: Japan has 1.7× the figure recorded by Ukraine (122.56% of GDP). Four of the top ten are in Asia. Among these countries, Ukraine saw the largest year-over-year change at +12.7%.

Rank changes

How government gross debt as percentage of GDP changed between two years

andSelect a second year

Pin two years to compare

Scrub the slider above to a year, then tap the dashed slot to pin it. Pin a second year to see rank changes visualised.

Examples: 1980 → 2031, 2021 → 2031

Historical trends

All countries

Frequently asked questions

Which country has the lowest government gross debt as percentage of GDP?
Liechtenstein has the lowest government gross debt as percentage of GDP at 0.5% of GDP as of 2026, according to IMF World Economic Outlook.
Which country has the highest government gross debt as percentage of GDP?
Japan has the highest government gross debt as percentage of GDP at 204.4% of GDP as of 2026, according to IMF World Economic Outlook.
What is the global government gross debt as percentage of GDP?
Weighted by population, the global government gross debt as percentage of GDP is 76.9% of GDP as of 2026, according to IMF World Economic Outlook.

Source: IMF World Economic Outlook · Updated