WAKE UPCANADAJoin for free

Country comparisons

CANADA AND THE WORLD

Public debt

Compare public debt with the size of each economy.

Choose places7 / 8

Choose up to eight places. Canada stays on the chart.

This measure keeps its own unit. A money or metal rate would change its meaning.

The chart uses the shared start and end years. Missing years stay as gaps.

Selected peers

Public debt

Percent of GDP

Years shown1989 — 2024

These are chosen peers, not a rank of the whole world. Add other places below.

CanadaUnited StatesUnited KingdomGermanyFranceJapanAustralia
19892024

Canada

110.8Last shared year: 2024

Change over these years+39.78 Points

United States

120.8Last shared year: 2024

Change over these years+60.33 Points

United Kingdom

101.3Last shared year: 2024

Change over these years+69.85 Points

Germany

63.89Last shared year: 2024

Change over these years+24.69 Points

France

113.1Last shared year: 2024

Change over these years+77.58 Points

Japan

236.7Last shared year: 2024

Change over these years+171 Points

Australia

49.83Last shared year: 2024

Change over these years+32.81 Points

Download these numbers

Data version: 2026-10-14-d4c41787a9e2

See the numbers

The table shows the chosen view. The CSV also keeps the source and rate links used to make it.

Public debt · Percent of GDP
YearCanadaUnited StatesUnited KingdomGermanyFranceJapanAustralia
198970.98677760.45595231.4362639.19336735.52560765.67449317.016497
199073.74425162.16272528.26205240.73630336.79132563.23268216.406689
199181.65817266.54562928.72239.4854937.77208362.38454921.607126
199288.22998868.80934633.97726641.86257641.70522866.76561627.631688
199394.73024870.79678642.11598345.51236548.15784872.83752330.665034
199497.48046669.57945740.70331147.87494251.58040284.36117331.709047
1995100.0841769.11025945.05784555.28751157.80500492.52557831.143021
1996100.2438868.23445744.73847658.10957460.59346998.0535429.345241
199795.27249265.83958144.13203259.20652961.983253104.9709425.907213
199893.29018862.60391241.96951259.80863562.099697116.0199523.698221
199988.96566959.03139540.40975960.34921361.423125129.5011922.543955
200080.43660853.16940437.68569159.23879959.721388135.608619.495351
200181.46203353.33146934.95774958.06156159.322254145.1235317.105665
200279.60406955.72255735.43446259.82310661.256043154.0956615.010398
200375.91179758.80341636.76368963.34432665.36386160.0207613.186322
200471.889466.27718839.80154864.96489466.879403169.4899311.907291
200570.6404165.60795941.00042367.12019168.186037174.594710.858112
200669.91983264.34345242.05828966.39672265.400811174.142569.9377855
200767.18135364.73925143.17389863.68705365.476775172.951099.6654472
200870.3553573.58954250.82737265.16025169.819176180.8506911.741729
200981.80412386.78679864.91501272.33627484.055614198.8068216.622245
201083.97621295.34735875.8602381.00892286.27793205.8792920.349581
201184.28629699.68076481.42506678.45797288.749329219.1616224.040466
201287.150948103.2441584.48260179.80356291.741949226.0928327.521471
201387.60508104.5219685.31605977.43509594.555055229.4507230.466475
201485.540514104.4291887.09432574.52034696.163266233.2811334.036272
201592.028852104.8539387.86668771.21591996.970022228.2783737.725806
201692.396824106.7803487.8251968.28222498.153121232.4212340.620637
201790.942246105.7277886.72281464.02622598.761564231.3207741.195415
201890.776119107.0412786.34514560.80926798.528337232.380341.758013
201990.210165108.1967285.65719258.70105998.161875236.3810646.720395
2020118.06558132.03249105.8401168.035175114.90004258.3688657.091508
2021112.61731124.71632105.1307468.076818112.78574253.6520455.536795
2022104.20738118.806499.61368464.997332111.3631248.3091650.221601
2023107.71072118.99808100.3629862.877686109.77403239.9705448.972781
2024110.76918120.78568101.2894163.88822113.10798236.6595349.828052
Check the coverage

A gap means there is no value in this source. It does not mean zero.

PlaceFirst yearLast yearMissing years in this view
Canada19502024—
United States19502024—
United Kingdom19502024—
Germany19502024—
France19782024—
Japan19552024—
Australia19892024—
All places at the shared year

This list uses the last year shown above. Missing places stay visible. 2024 · Percent of GDP

PlaceNames used by the sourceValue
ArgentinaArgentinaNo data
AustraliaAustralia49.828052
AustriaAustria81.205646
BelgiumBelgium104.46778
BrazilBrazil87.283842
CanadaCanada110.76918
SwitzerlandSwitzerland37.577806
ChileChile41.980756
ChinaChina88.327128
ColombiaColombia61.276566
Costa RicaCosta Rica60.170254
CzechiaCzechia42.98805
GermanyGermany63.88822
DenmarkDenmark27.993064
Euro areaEuro areaNo data
SpainSpain101.82044
EstoniaEstonia23.61853
FinlandFinland82.530305
FranceFrance113.10798
United KingdomUnited Kingdom101.28941
GreeceGreece150.89135
HungaryHungary73.454354
IndonesiaIndonesia40.188701
IndiaIndia81.285982
IrelandIreland41.113213
IcelandIceland59.077272
IsraelIsrael67.848206
ItalyItaly135.32627
JapanJapan236.65953
South KoreaKorea, Rep.52.487525
LithuaniaLithuania38.223458
LuxembourgLuxembourg25.981139
LatviaLatvia47.362754
MexicoMexicoNo data
NetherlandsNetherlands43.234729
NorwayNorway42.719202
New ZealandNew ZealandNo data
PolandPoland55.282218
PortugalPortugal94.927404
RussiaRussian Federation20.302591
Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaNo data
SlovakiaSlovak Republic58.016539
SloveniaSlovenia67.039083
SwedenSweden32.642485
TürkiyeTurkiye25.970907
United StatesUnited States120.78568
South AfricaSouth AfricaNo data

Read the sources

Source snapshot: 2026-10-14-d4c41787a9e2 · Checked:

  1. Global Debt Database (Sep 2025): General Government Debt ↗IMF · Source document in English
  2. DataMapper indicator metadata ↗IMF · Source document in English

Share this view

The link keeps your places, units, years and data version.

How to read this chart

This is gross debt across all levels of government, as a share of yearly output. Gross debt does not take off public assets. Country methods can differ.

What this does not show

Debt can fund useful work. Its size alone does not show what the money bought or when bills fall due.

  • Gross debt does not subtract public assets. It is not net debt.
  • The debt source flags differences in country methods. Do not treat every figure as the same set of accounts.
  • Borders, coverage and methods can change over a long history.

Make the case for change

A chart can show a gap. It cannot prove what caused it. Read the evidence, the costs and the change we seek.

Share the default chart as an image

This image uses the default places and years. Use the view link to share your own choices.

Share image Public debt

WAKE UP CANADA

Share the case for change

Public debt

Keep the source, date and notes with the image.

Checked:

What this does not show: Debt can fund useful work. Its size alone does not show what the money bought or when bills fall due.

wakeupcanada.ca/en/compare/government-debt/
Scan to open this page
Scan this code to read the full case.

Save an image

If the image opens in a new tab, press and hold it or use your browser’s save tool.

Sources and notes