Understanding a country's economic health requires a comprehensive view of various indicators, one of the most critical being the Debt-to-GDP ratio. This ratio, an indicator of an economy's health and sustainability, measures a country's debt compared to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). A lower percentage indicates that a country produces a sufficient amount as goods and services annually to pay back its debts, pointing to better economic stability.
In the United States, the Debt-to-GDP ratio has been a significant concern for economists and policymakers. As of this year, the United States' Debt-to-GDP ratio stands at 128.1%, positioning it 14th in rankings of the highest Debt-to-GDP ratios worldwide.
Key findings from the data include:
These figures demonstrate the wide disparities between different countries' economies and the varying approaches to economic stability and growth worldwide. A deeper examination of these numbers can provide policy-makers, economists, and scholars with valuable insights into global economic health and individual countries' financial resilience.
The topic of Debt to GDP ratio is crucial when evaluating a country's economic health. The Debt to GDP ratio often indicates a country's ability to pay off its debts. The listed countries have the highest Debt to GDP ratios.
Japan tops the list with a Debt to GDP ratio of 259.4%, meaning their national debt is significantly more than twice their gross domestic product. This is followed by Sudan, with 200.4% Debt to GDP ratio, and Greece, prominent for its economic crisis in recent years, with a ratio of 194.5%.
Eritrea is the next country on the list, having 179.7% debt to GDP ratio. Singapore, known for its strong, innovative economy, has a ratio of 159.9%. Maldives falls in the list too with a Debt to GDP ratio of 154.4%. Lebanon and Italy are not far behind with ratios of 150.6% and 150.3% respectively.
Furthermore, Cape Verde and Barbados make the list too with ratios of 145.1% and 135.4% respectively.
10 Countries with the Highest Debt to GDP Ratio:
The ten countries with the lowest debt to GDP ratios are Hong Kong, Brunei, Afghanistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Kuwait, Solomon Islands, DR Congo, and Russia. With the least debt relative to its GDP, Hong Kong leads the list with a debt to GDP ratio of just 2.1%. Following closely behind is Brunei, with a debt to GDP ratio of 2.5%. Afghanistan places third with a ratio of 7.4%, while Timor-Leste has the fourth lowest at a ratio of 9.4%.
Moving further down the list, Turkmenistan boasts an 11.1% ratio, while Tuvalu's stands at 11.5%. Kuwait comes in at seventh place with a ratio of 11.7%, while the debt to GDP ratio of Solomon Islands is 13.7%. At the penultimate spot is the DR Congo, with a 16.5% ratio. Finally, rounding up the list is Russia, with a debt to GDP ratio of 17.0%.
The ten countries with the lowest debt to GDP ratios:
The data points presented are defined as follows:
To sort the data in the table, click on the column headers.