Public Sector
Central government debt, total (% of GDP)
Debt is the entire stock of direct government fixed-term contractual obligations to others outstanding on a particular date. It includes domestic and foreign liabilities such as currency and money deposits, securities other than shares, and loans. It is the gross amount of government liabilities reduced by the amount of equity and financial derivatives held by the government. Because debt is a stock rather than a flow, it is measured as of a given date, usually the last day of the fiscal year. Central government is the part of general government that includes all administrative departments of the national executive, legislative, and judicial functions, other central agencies and those non-market producers controlled by the central government, whose competence extends normally over the whole economic territory. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.
World Bank code: GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS • Data available for 81 countries • Latest year: 2024
In , Singapore led Central government debt, total (% of GDP) at 175.61.
The world median across 28 reporting countries was 58.31.
How "Public Sector" indicators are measured
Public sector indicators (government revenue, expenditure, debt) are compiled from IMF Government Finance Statistics and national budget reporting. Definitions of "general government" versus "central government" vary, so cross-country comparison requires checking the institutional coverage. Debt-to-GDP ratios are most useful in trend form rather than point-in-time comparison.
Distribution — 2024
- Reporting
- 28 countries
- Median
- 58.31
- Mean
- 64.67
- 25th percentile
- 40.10
- 75th percentile
- 71.79
- Range
- 12.66 – 175.61
World at a Glance — 2024
Every reporting country, grouped by region, shaded by value (quintile).
Lighter = lower value · Darker = higher value. Hover a cell to see the country and value.
Highest Values — 2024
| # | Country | Central government debt, total (% of GDP) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore East Asia & Pacific | 175.61 |
| 2 | United Kingdom Europe & Central Asia | 131.07 |
| 3 | United States North America | 117.97 |
| 4 | El Salvador Latin America & Caribbean | 105.80 |
| 5 | Spain Europe & Central Asia | 105.64 |
| 6 | Hungary Europe & Central Asia | 82.03 |
| 7 | Brazil Latin America & Caribbean | 81.86 |
| 8 | Mozambique Sub-Saharan Africa | 71.79 |
| 9 | Colombia Latin America & Caribbean | 71.48 |
| 10 | Bahamas, The Latin America & Caribbean | 71.46 |
Looking for a specific country? Only the top and bottom 10 appear here. See where every country ranks for Central government debt, total (% of GDP).
View complete rankings →Biggest Movers — Year over Year
Largest increases
- Switzerland +16.0%
- Mexico +10.0%
- Uruguay +6.5%
- Canada +6.2%
- New Zealand +4.3%
Largest decreases
- Turkiye -20.0%
- Georgia -7.6%
- Andorra -6.0%
- Albania -5.8%
- United Kingdom -3.7%
By Income Group — Average
| Income group | Countries | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| High income | 12 | 79.03 |
| Upper middle income | 12 | 56.94 |
| Lower middle income | 1 | 40.23 |
| Low income | 3 | 46.30 |
By Region — Average
| Region | Countries | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| East Asia & Pacific | 5 | 79.59 |
| Europe & Central Asia | 12 | 53.71 |
| Latin America & Caribbean | 6 | 74.43 |
| North America | 2 | 91.43 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 3 | 46.30 |
Lowest Values — 2024
| # | Country | Central government debt, total (% of GDP) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 12.66 |
| 2 | Russian Federation | 17.95 |
| 3 | Switzerland | 23.07 |
| 4 | Turkiye | 26.62 |
| 5 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 39.91 |
| 6 | Andorra | 40.03 |
| 7 | Georgia | 40.10 |
| 8 | Kyrgyz Republic | 40.23 |
| 9 | Mongolia | 43.34 |
| 10 | Armenia | 47.88 |
Source: World Bank Open Data (GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS), CC BY 4.0. Rankings show countries with available data for 2024.