Plus some pervasive myths that can finally be debunked
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 155.1%
Total GDP: US$58.57 billion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 117.6%
Total GDP: US$236.41 billion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 207%
Total GDP: US$30.87 billion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 114.1%
Total GDP: US$362.82 billion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 176.6%
Total GDP: US$214.01 billion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 133.2%
Total GDP: US$1.99 trillion
Does more gross domestic product (GDP) indicate less debt? Not quite. In fact, many wealthy countries' debt makes up a massive portion of their GDP.
Both the first and second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the global economy, so these numbers ought to change, and the European Commission mentions this in their Autumn 2020 Economic Forecast, where they say that "the nascent recovery of the European economy has been interrupted by a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic."
In this gallery, we list the countries with the most debt, based on their debt-to-GDP ratio (debt as a percentage of the country's GDP). Click on to find out more.
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 165.1%
Total GDP: US$2.11 billion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 123.5%
Total GDP: US$2.01 billion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 115.4%
Total GDP: US$5.19 billion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 95%
Total GDP: US$91.53 billion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 94.6%
Total GDP: US$44.17 billion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 96.4%
Total GDP: US$1.40 trillion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 99.3%
Total GDP: US$2.71 trillion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 101%
Total GDP: US$517.61 billion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 96.1%
Total GDP: US$24.28 billion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 108.6%
Total GDP: US$2.84 billion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 106.2%
Total GDP: US$21.44 trillion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 101.7%
Total GDP: US$38.18 billion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 108.8%
Total GDP: US$15.09 billion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 85.6%
Total GDP: US$2.74 trillion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 93.3%
Total GDP: US$445.47 billion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 91.6%
Total GDP: US$1.85 trillion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 84.9%
Total GDP: US$302.26 billion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 87.5%
Total GDP: US$1.73 trillion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 93%
Total GDP: US$2 billion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 91.6%
Total GDP: US$23.95 billion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 85.1%
Total GDP: US$1.59 billion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 93.5%
Total GDP: US$15.70 billion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 90%
Total GDP: US$1.69 billion
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 83%
Total GDP: US$86.57 billion
(IMF) (European Commission) (Stacker)
Debt as a percentage of GDP: 237.7%
Total GDP: US$5.15 trillion
Countries with the most debt
Two countries have a debt-to-GDP ratio of over 200%
LIFESTYLE Global economy
Does more gross domestic product (GDP) indicate less debt? Not quite. In fact, many wealthy countries' debt makes up a massive portion of their GDP.
Both the first and second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the global economy, so these numbers ought to change, and the European Commission mentions this in their Autumn 2020 Economic Forecast, where they say that "the nascent recovery of the European economy has been interrupted by a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic."
In this gallery, we list the countries with the most debt, based on their debt-to-GDP ratio (debt as a percentage of the country's GDP). Click on to find out more.