Last updated September 18, 2024
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:
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:
Ranked in World
#187
75.9%
Ranked in World
#59
63.0%
Ranked in World
#84
48.5%
Ranked in World
#122
86.4%
Ranked in World
#40
101.5%
Ranked in World
#28
80.9%
Ranked in World
#51
60.3%
Ranked in World
#91
58.4%
Ranked in World
#96
82.3%
Ranked in World
#46
26.5%
Ranked in World
#169
103.3%
Ranked in World
#25
129.7%
Ranked in World
#13
35.6%
Ranked in World
#157
135.4%
Ranked in World
#10
47.5%
Ranked in World
#129
109.2%
Ranked in World
#21
82.2%
Ranked in World
#47
49.9%
Ranked in World
#119
132.4%
Ranked in World
#12
80.5%
Ranked in World
#52
35.4%
Ranked in World
#158
19.5%
Ranked in World
#177
93.0%
Ranked in World
#33
Ranked in World
#188
23.9%
Ranked in World
#174
52.4%
Ranked in World
#110
66.0%
Ranked in World
#77
35.2%
Ranked in World
#159
45.5%
Ranked in World
#133
112.9%
Ranked in World
#19
145.1%
Ranked in World
#9
47.6%
Ranked in World
#124
56.0%
Ranked in World
#102
36.3%
Ranked in World
#155
68.1%
Ranked in World
#74
64.6%
Ranked in World
#80
24.0%
Ranked in World
#173
68.2%
Ranked in World
#73
78.4%
Ranked in World
#55
101.0%
Ranked in World
#29
16.5%
Ranked in World
#181
36.6%
Ranked in World
#151
46.0%
Ranked in World
#132
102.7%
Ranked in World
#27
63.1%
Ranked in World
#83
62.2%
Ranked in World
#86
89.2%
Ranked in World
#36
82.4%
Ranked in World
#45
42.8%
Ranked in World
#140
179.7%
Ranked in World
#4
17.6%
Ranked in World
#179
45.0%
Ranked in World
#134
53.0%
Ranked in World
#108
83.0%
Ranked in World
#43
72.4%
Ranked in World
#64
112.8%
Ranked in World
#20
65.8%
Ranked in World
#78
85.9%
Ranked in World
#41
49.5%
Ranked in World
#120
68.6%
Ranked in World
#72
82.1%
Ranked in World
#48
194.5%
Ranked in World
#3
71.4%
Ranked in World
#67
30.8%
Ranked in World
#164
42.5%
Ranked in World
#141
76.5%
Ranked in World
#58
42.9%
Ranked in World
#139
24.2%
Ranked in World
#172
50.2%
Ranked in World
#118
Ranked in World
#189
76.8%
Ranked in World
#57
77.2%
Ranked in World
#56
89.2%
Ranked in World
#37
41.2%
Ranked in World
#146
42.4%
Ranked in World
#143
59.1%
Ranked in World
#92
55.4%
Ranked in World
#103
70.7%
Ranked in World
#68
150.3%
Ranked in World
#8
47.6%
Ranked in World
#126
92.4%
Ranked in World
#34
259.4%
Ranked in World
#1
88.0%
Ranked in World
#39
25.1%
Ranked in World
#170
67.8%
Ranked in World
#75
19.0%
Ranked in World
#178
11.7%
Ranked in World
#183
61.1%
Ranked in World
#88
82.8%
Ranked in World
#44
43.6%
Ranked in World
#136
150.6%
Ranked in World
#7
53.5%
Ranked in World
#105
58.7%
Ranked in World
#93
36.4%
Ranked in World
#152
43.7%
Ranked in World
#135
24.5%
Ranked in World
#171
53.1%
Ranked in World
#107
63.9%
Ranked in World
#81
69.0%
Ranked in World
#69
154.4%
Ranked in World
#6
52.0%
Ranked in World
#111
56.3%
Ranked in World
#101
19.8%
Ranked in World
#175
51.7%
Ranked in World
#113
93.6%
Ranked in World
#31
57.6%
Ranked in World
#99
19.6%
Ranked in World
#176
33.1%
Ranked in World
#162
79.8%
Ranked in World
#53
107.4%
Ranked in World
#22
68.9%
Ranked in World
#71
106.4%
Ranked in World
#23
39.3%
Ranked in World
#149
72.0%
Ranked in World
#65
27.1%
Ranked in World
#168
42.4%
Ranked in World
#142
52.4%
Ranked in World
#109
43.2%
Ranked in World
#138
48.1%
Ranked in World
#123
51.2%
Ranked in World
#115
34.5%
Ranked in World
#161
53.2%
Ranked in World
#106
43.4%
Ranked in World
#137
62.9%
Ranked in World
#85
74.9%
Ranked in World
#60
50.4%
Ranked in World
#117
58.4%
Ranked in World
#94
47.1%
Ranked in World
#130
37.7%
Ranked in World
#150
36.4%
Ranked in World
#153
57.0%
Ranked in World
#100
53.8%
Ranked in World
#104
125.5%
Ranked in World
#16
58.4%
Ranked in World
#97
103.6%
Ranked in World
#24
48.9%
Ranked in World
#121
17.0%
Ranked in World
#180
66.6%
Ranked in World
#76
63.4%
Ranked in World
#82
92.2%
Ranked in World
#35
88.4%
Ranked in World
#38
46.3%
Ranked in World
#131
71.7%
Ranked in World
#66
81.4%
Ranked in World
#50
30.0%
Ranked in World
#165
73.2%
Ranked in World
#62
57.9%
Ranked in World
#98
72.9%
Ranked in World
#63
79.3%
Ranked in World
#54
159.9%
Ranked in World
#5
62.2%
Ranked in World
#87
74.5%
Ranked in World
#61
13.7%
Ranked in World
#182
69.0%
Ranked in World
#70
51.3%
Ranked in World
#114
28.1%
Ranked in World
#167
118.3%
Ranked in World
#18
103.1%
Ranked in World
#26
200.4%
Ranked in World
#2
125.7%
Ranked in World
#15
36.3%
Ranked in World
#154
42.1%
Ranked in World
#144
31.2%
Ranked in World
#163
28.4%
Ranked in World
#166
50.4%
Ranked in World
#116
40.7%
Ranked in World
#147
58.4%
Ranked in World
#95
Ranked in World
#186
60.3%
Ranked in World
#90
47.6%
Ranked in World
#127
60.6%
Ranked in World
#89
81.8%
Ranked in World
#49
41.8%
Ranked in World
#145
11.1%
Ranked in World
#185
11.5%
Ranked in World
#184
51.8%
Ranked in World
#112
47.6%
Ranked in World
#125
34.7%
Ranked in World
#160
95.4%
Ranked in World
#30
128.1%
Ranked in World
#14
65.1%
Ranked in World
#79
35.8%
Ranked in World
#156
47.5%
Ranked in World
#128
133.6%
Ranked in World
#11
39.7%
Ranked in World
#148
84.0%
Ranked in World
#42
119.1%
Ranked in World
#17
93.2%
Ranked in World
#32
Region ↕ | Debt To GDP Ratio↕ |
---|---|
7.4% | |
75.9% | |
63.0% | |
48.5% | |
86.4% | |
101.5% | |
80.9% | |
60.3% | |
58.4% | |
82.3% | |
26.5% | |
103.3% | |
129.7% | |
35.6% | |
135.4% | |
47.5% | |
109.2% | |
82.2% | |
49.9% | |
132.4% | |
80.5% | |
35.4% | |
19.5% | |
93.0% | |
2.5% | |
23.9% | |
52.4% | |
66.0% | |
35.2% | |
45.5% | |
112.9% | |
145.1% | |
47.6% | |
56.0% | |
36.3% | |
68.1% | |
64.6% | |
24.0% | |
68.2% | |
78.4% | |
101.0% | |
16.5% | |
36.6% | |
46.0% | |
102.7% | |
63.1% | |
62.2% | |
89.2% | |
82.4% | |
42.8% | |
179.7% | |
17.6% | |
45.0% | |
53.0% | |
83.0% | |
72.4% | |
112.8% | |
65.8% | |
85.9% | |
49.5% | |
68.6% | |
82.1% | |
194.5% | |
71.4% | |
30.8% | |
42.5% | |
76.5% | |
42.9% | |
24.2% | |
50.2% | |
2.1% | |
76.8% | |
77.2% | |
89.2% | |
41.2% | |
42.4% | |
59.1% | |
55.4% | |
70.7% | |
150.3% | |
47.6% | |
92.4% | |
259.4% | |
88.0% | |
25.1% | |
67.8% | |
19.0% | |
11.7% | |
61.1% | |
82.8% | |
43.6% | |
150.6% | |
53.5% | |
58.7% | |
36.4% | |
43.7% | |
24.5% | |
53.1% | |
63.9% | |
69.0% | |
154.4% | |
52.0% | |
56.3% | |
19.8% | |
51.7% | |
93.6% | |
57.6% | |
19.6% | |
33.1% | |
79.8% | |
107.4% | |
68.9% | |
106.4% | |
39.3% | |
72.0% | |
![]() | 27.1% |
42.4% | |
52.4% | |
43.2% | |
48.1% | |
51.2% | |
34.5% | |
53.2% | |
43.4% | |
62.9% | |
74.9% | |
50.4% | |
58.4% | |
47.1% | |
37.7% | |
36.4% | |
57.0% | |
53.8% | |
125.5% | |
58.4% | |
103.6% | |
48.9% | |
17.0% | |
66.6% | |
63.4% | |
92.2% | |
88.4% | |
46.3% | |
71.7% | |
81.4% | |
30.0% | |
73.2% | |
57.9% | |
72.9% | |
79.3% | |
159.9% | |
62.2% | |
74.5% | |
13.7% | |
69.0% | |
51.3% | |
28.1% | |
118.3% | |
103.1% | |
200.4% | |
125.7% | |
36.3% | |
42.1% | |
31.2% | |
28.4% | |
50.4% | |
40.7% | |
58.4% | |
9.4% | |
60.3% | |
47.6% | |
60.6% | |
81.8% | |
41.8% | |
11.1% | |
11.5% | |
51.8% | |
47.6% | |
34.7% | |
95.4% | |
128.1% | |
65.1% | |
35.8% | |
47.5% | |
133.6% | |
39.7% | |
84.0% | |
119.1% | |
93.2% |