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Government debt, % of GDP

The UK ranks 24th of 28 on Government debt, % of GDP (2025)

The UK ranks 24th of 28 on Government debt, % of GDP in 2025: 102.1, unit % of GDP (general government gross debt), against an EU27 median of 59.7. Source: International Monetary Fund, DataMapper (World Economic Outlook), GGXWDG_NGDP, snapshot of 6 November 2026.

General government gross debt as a share of GDP.

Caveat. Debt is divided by GDP, so GDP distortions move the ratio. Ireland's 2015 GDP revision lowered its debt ratio sharply. Luxembourg and Malta are small-state outliers.

The UK

Government debt, % of GDP

102.1% of GDP (general government gross debt)(2025)

24th of 28Moved down 3 places from 2016 to 2025.
EU27 median
59.7 % of GDP (general government gross debt)
UK minus EU27 median
+42.4 % of GDP (general government gross debt)

League table

Values in % of GDP (general government gross debt). Countries ranked by value, 1 = top of the table, 28 with a value.

Government debt, % of GDP, 2025: league table of countries
1Estonia24.02025
2Luxembourg26.52025
3Denmark27.42025
4Bulgaria29.92025
5Sweden34.52025
6Ireland34.82025
7Lithuania39.52025
8Czechia44.22025
9Netherlands44.72025
10Malta46.22025
11Latvia46.92025
12Cyprus55.02025
13Croatia56.32025
14Poland59.72025
15Romania60.42025
16Slovakia61.42025
17Germany62.72025
18Slovenia65.12025
19Hungary74.62025
20Austria81.42025
21Finland88.42025
22Portugal89.72025
23Spain100.52025
24United KingdomUK102.12025
25Belgium107.92025
26France115.52025
27Italy137.12025
28Greece146.62025

Trend, 2000 to 2025

Government debt, % of GDP, 2000 to 2025Line chart, 2000 to 2025: the UK (heavy ink line), the EU27 aggregate (dashed dark line), Germany, France, Italy and Spain (solid lines), and reference countries (faint lines). Dotted segments are IMF projections and are not ranked. Shaded bands and markers show events.% of GDP (general government gross debt)01002002000200520102015202020252030123Japan205United States124Italy137France116Canada114United Kingdom102Spain101EU2783Germany63Australia52Switzerland40Norway54Government debt, % of GDP, 2000 to 2025Line chart, 2000 to 2025: the UK (heavy ink line), the EU27 aggregate (dashed dark line), Germany, France, Italy and Spain (solid lines), and reference countries (faint lines). Dotted segments are IMF projections and are not ranked. Shaded bands and markers show events.% of GDP (general government gross debt)01002002000201020202030123JapanUnited StatesItalyFranceCanadaUnited KingdomSpainEU27GermanyAustraliaSwitzerlandNorway
  • Heavy ink line: United Kingdom
  • France
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Dashed dark line: EU27 aggregate
  • Thin grey lines, reference countries (not the big four): Australia, Canada, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, United States
  • Dotted: IMF projections, not ranked
  • Shaded: 2008–09 financial crisis
  • Shaded: 2020–21 Covid-19 pandemic
  • Shaded: 2022–23 energy price shock
  • Marker 1: EU referendum (23 June 2016)
  • Marker 2: UK leaves the EU (31 January 2020)
  • Marker 3: Transition period ends; Trade and Cooperation Agreement in force (1 January 2021)
Trends show what happened, not why; Covid, energy prices and policy changes overlap the same years. Dotted lines are projections and are not ranked.

UK rank over time

Rank 1 is the top of the table; the line is drawn with rank 1 at the top. Each year is ranked on that year's values.

UK rank, 2000 to 2025: 11th to 24th9th12th16th20th24th200020052010201520202025June 201624thUK rank, 2000 to 2025: 11th to 24th9th12th16th20th24th200020102020June 201624th

2000: 11th · 2025: 24th

Sources and method

General government gross debt as a share of GDP.

Source: International Monetary Fund, DataMapper (World Economic Outlook) · series GGXWDG_NGDP· vintage World Economic Outlook (October 2026), dataset last modified 2026-10-08 · fetched 2026-11-06

Source: International Monetary Fund, DataMapper (World Economic Outlook (October 2026), dataset last modified 2026-10-08); accessed 2026-11-06. Figures adapted by UK EU Ranked.

Licence: IMF Data terms: download, adapt and redistribute with credit to the IMF and a link; state material transformations; bulk automated downloading and commercial reuse need IMF permission ([email protected]). No SPDX licence name.