Throughout the financial crisis, many national economies have looked to their government and foreign lenders for financial support, which translates to increased spending, borrowing and in most cases, growing national debt.
Deficit spending, government debt and private sector borrowing are the norm in most western countries, but due in part to the financial crisis, some nations and economies are in considerably worse debt positions than others.
External debt is a measure of a nation’s foreign liabilities, capital plus interest that the government and institutions within a nation’s borders must eventually pay. This number not only includes government debt, but also debt owed by corporations and individuals to entities outside their home country.
So, how does the US debt position compare to that of other countries? A useful measure of a country’s debt position is by comparing gross external debt to GDP. By comparing a country’s debt to what it produces, this ratio can be used to determine the likelihood that a country will be able to repay its debt. This report takes a look at the world’s 75 largest economies to see which ones have the highest external debt to GDP ratio, calculated using the most recent numbers from the World Bank. We’ve listed the top twenty here.
Who are the world’s biggest debtor nations? The rankings may surprise you!
Top 20 countries under debt
1. Ireland – 1,267%
External debt (as % of GDP): 1,267%
External debt per capita: $567,805
Gross external debt: $2.386 trillion (2009 Q2)
2008 GDP (est): $188.4 billion
2. Switzerland – 422.7%
External debt (as % of GDP): 422.7%
External debt per capita: $176,045
Gross external debt: $1.338 trillion (2009 Q2)
2008 GDP (est): $316.7 billion
3. United Kingdom – 408.3%
External debt (as % of GDP): 408.3%
External debt per capita: $148,702
Gross external debt: $9.087 trillion (2009 Q2)
2008 GDP (est): $2.226 trillion
4. Netherlands – 365%
External debt (as % of GDP): 365%
External debt per capita: $146,703
Gross external debt: $2.452 trillion (2009 Q2)
2008 GDP (est): $672 billion
5. Belgium – 320.2%
External debt (as % of GDP): 320.2%
External debt per capita: $119,681
Gross external debt: $1.246 trillion (2009 Q1)
2008 GDP (est): $389 billion
6. Denmark – 298.3%
External debt (as % of GDP): 298.3%
External debt per capita: $110,422
Gross external debt: $607.38 billion (2009 Q2)
2008 GDP (est): $203.6 billion
7. Austria – 252.6%
External debt (as % of GDP): 252.6%
External debt per capita: $101,387
Gross external debt: $832.42 billion (2009 Q2)
2008 GDP (est): $329.5 billion
8. France – 236%
External debt (as % of GDP): 236%
External debt per capita: $78,387
Gross external debt: $5.021 trillion (2009 Q2)
2008 GDP (est): $2.128 trillion
9. Portugal – 214.4%
External debt (as % of GDP): 214.4%
External debt per capita: $47,348
Gross external debt: $507 billion (2009 Q2)
2008 GDP (est): $236.5 billion
10. Hong Kong – 205.8%
External debt (as % of GDP): 205.8%
External debt per capita: $89,457
Gross external debt: $631.13 billion (2009 Q2)
2008 GDP (est): $306.6 billion
11. Norway – 199%
External debt (as % of GDP): 199%
External debt per capita: $117,604
Gross external debt: $548.1 billion (2009 Q2)
2008 GDP (est): $275.4 billion
12. Sweden – 194.3%
External debt (as % of GDP): 194.3%
External debt per capita: $73,854
Gross external debt: $669.1 billion (2009 Q2)
2008 GDP (est): $344.3 billion
13. Finland – 188.5%
External debt (as % of GDP): 188.5%
External debt per capita: $69,491
Gross external debt: $364.85 billion (2009 Q2)
2008 GDP (est): $193.5 billion
14. Germany – 178.5%
External debt (as % of GDP): 178.5%
External debt per capita: $63,263
Gross external debt: $5.208 trillion (2009 Q2)
2008 GDP (est): $2.918 trillion
15. Spain – 171.7%
External debt (as % of GDP): 171.7%
External debt per capita: $59,457
Gross external debt: $2.409 trillion (2009 Q2)
2008 GDP (est): $1.403 trillion
16. Greece – 161.1%
External debt (as % of GDP): 161.1%
External debt per capita: $51,483
Gross external debt: $552.8 billion (2009 Q2)
2008 GDP (est): $343 billion
17. Italy – 126.7%
External debt (as % of GDP): 126.7%
External debt per capita: $39,741
Gross external debt: $2.310 trillion (2009 Q1)
2008 GDP (est): $ 1.823 trillion
18. Australia – 111.3%
External debt (as % of GDP): 111.3%
External debt per capita: $41,916
Gross external debt: $891.26 billion (2009 Q2)
2008 GDP (est): $800.2 billion
19. Hungary – 105.7%
External debt (as % of GDP): 105.7%
External debt per capita: $20,990
Gross external debt: $207.92 billion (2009 Q1)
2008 GDP (est): $196.6 billion
20. United States – 94.3%
External debt (as % of GDP): 94.3%
External debt per capita: $43,793
Gross external debt: $13.454 trillion (2009 Q2)
2008 GDP (est): $14.26 trillion