UK national debt compared with other countries
In 2025 the UK had the 8th-highest government debt of the 38 OECD countries with figures for that year: 102.1% of GDP. The range ran from 23.7% of GDP in Türkiye to 204.8% of GDP in Japan. The simple average across the 38 was 70.6% of GDP, a difference of 31.5 percentage points from the UK's figure.
The UK over ten years
From 2016 to 2025 the UK's figure was highest in 2020 (104.4% of GDP) and lowest in 2019 (84.5% of GDP).
The UK's figure was higher than the average in every year from 2016 to 2025.
In 2016 the UK ranked 10th of the 38 countries with a figure; in 2025 it ranked 8th of 38.
Two countries had a higher figure than the UK in 2016 and a lower one in 2025: Spain and Portugal.
The IMF's projection for the UK in 2026 is 102.0% of GDP.
How the IMF measures it
The IMF's general government gross debt is all the liabilities of central, regional and local government and social security funds that require payments of interest or principal in future: debt securities, loans, currency and deposits, insurance and pension schemes, and other accounts payable. It is shown as a share of the country's GDP for the calendar year, and no assets are subtracted.
IMF figures for recent years can include IMF staff estimates; the IMF revises them in each April and October edition.
Countries compared: The 38 member countries of the OECD. The table uses the latest year for which the UK and at least three-quarters of the countries the IMF covers have a figure, so every value is for the same period.
Why this differs from the UK's own figures
The figure the ONS leads with each month is public sector net debt excluding public sector banks. It covers the whole public sector, including the Bank of England and public corporations, subtracts liquid assets such as cash and foreign exchange reserves, and is measured at the end of each month or financial year. The IMF's general government gross debt leaves out the Bank of England and public corporations, does not subtract assets, and is for calendar years, so the two give different percentages. The ONS also publishes general government gross debt every quarter in its UK government debt and deficit release, which is the UK series closest to the IMF's.
The UK's own latest figure, with its definition and release dates: UK public sector net debt.
Sources and receipts
Every value on this page was read from these addresses. The SHA-256 is the fingerprint of the file as downloaded, so a later change at the source can be detected.
- https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/api/v1/GGXWDG_NGDP
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook database (IMF DataMapper) · read 2026-10-14 · SHA-256
bacd0d83be00b655… - International Monetary Fund: World Economic Outlook database (IMF DataMapper)The publisher's page for this data, indicator GGXWDG_NGDP.
Common questions
Where does the UK rank for government debt in OECD countries?
IMF figures for 2025 put the UK 8th of 38, counting from the highest, at 102.1% of GDP.
Which OECD country has the highest government debt?
Japan, at 204.8% of GDP in 2025 (International Monetary Fund).
Which OECD country has the lowest government debt?
Türkiye, at 23.7% of GDP in 2025 (International Monetary Fund).
What is the OECD average government debt?
The simple average of the 38 countries with figures for 2025 is 70.6% of GDP. The UK's figure is 102.1% of GDP.
How has the UK's government debt changed since 2016?
IMF figures give 87.2% of GDP for 2016 and 102.1% of GDP for 2025; the ten-year chart above shows the years in between.
Is this the same as the UK's official figure?
The figure the ONS leads with each month is public sector net debt excluding public sector banks. It covers the whole public sector, including the Bank of England and public corporations, subtracts liquid assets such as cash and foreign exchange reserves, and is measured at the end of each month or financial year.
More comparisons
- UK national debt compared with the G7
- UK GDP per head compared with other countries
- UK government spending compared with other countries
- UK tax revenue compared with other countries
- UK life expectancy compared with other countries
- UK health spending compared with other countries
Compare any two countries on GDP, inflation, unemployment, debt and life expectancy: country comparison tool.
These pages state each body's figures and the UK's position among them. They give no view on whether a figure is high or low. To report an error, send a correction request.