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MacroAustralia

Government debt in Australia

How indebted is the state my taxes would go to?

Australia's government debt is 51.90 % — #55 of 125 countries on the atlas (lower is better). Period 2025.

51.90%

Checked 21 Oct 2026Period 2025

Source: IMF World Economic Outlook (general government gross debt, % of GDP)

The central government owes about 0.5 years' worth of the country's entire economic output.

Government debt in Australia over time

56.90 %33.25 %9.60 %56.90 % · 20209.60 % · 20071989: 17.00 %1990: 16.40 %1991: 21.60 %1992: 27.60 %1993: 30.60 %1994: 31.70 %1995: 31.10 %1996: 29.30 %1997: 25.90 %1998: 23.70 %1999: 22.50 %2000: 19.50 %2001: 17.10 %2002: 15.00 %2003: 13.20 %2004: 11.90 %2005: 10.80 %2006: 9.90 %2007: 9.60 %2008: 11.70 %2009: 16.60 %2010: 20.30 %2011: 24.00 %2012: 27.40 %2013: 30.30 %2014: 33.90 %2015: 37.60 %2016: 40.50 %2017: 41.00 %2018: 41.60 %2019: 46.50 %2020: 56.90 %2021: 55.40 %2022: 50.00 %2023: 49.40 %2024: 50.90 %2025: 51.90 %19892007202551.90 %
37 official observations, 1989 → 2025. Every point is a published value — never interpolated.
Rank
#55 of 125
lower is better
Ranked behind
56 %
70 of 125 countries
Latest move
▲ 1.00 pp
since 2024
Below its peak
5.00 pp
peak 56.90 % in 2020
Full series
▲ 34.90 pp
since 1989

vs median 54.70 %: −2.80 pp (better)

Among 125 countries

6 of 125 countries between 12.30 % and 17.90 %2 of 125 countries between 17.90 % and 23.49 %10 of 125 countries between 23.49 % and 29.09 %11 of 125 countries between 29.09 % and 34.68 %8 of 125 countries between 34.68 % and 40.28 %9 of 125 countries between 40.28 % and 45.88 %7 of 125 countries between 45.88 % and 51.47 %13 of 125 countries between 51.47 % and 57.07 %8 of 125 countries between 57.07 % and 62.66 %10 of 125 countries between 62.66 % and 68.26 %4 of 125 countries between 68.26 % and 73.85 %3 of 125 countries between 73.85 % and 79.45 %7 of 125 countries between 79.45 % and 85.05 %6 of 125 countries between 85.05 % and 90.64 %2 of 125 countries between 90.64 % and 96.24 %6 of 125 countries between 96.24 % and 101.83 %2 of 125 countries between 101.83 % and 107.43 %1 of 125 countries between 107.43 % and 113.02 %2 of 125 countries between 113.02 % and 118.62 %1 of 125 countries between 124.22 % and 129.81 %2 of 125 countries between 135.41 % and 141.00 %5 of 125 countries between 141.00 % and 146.60 %median 54.70 %Australia: ahead of 55 % of the 125 countries with a published government debtAustralia 51.90 %12.30 %146.60 %
Half of all 125 countries sit between 36.10 % and 81.70 %. Australia is ahead of 55 % of them. Axis trimmed to the 2nd–98th percentile; 5 values beyond it sit in the end bars.

The neighbourhood

#CountryGovernment debtvs Australia
53 Tanzania49.80 %−2.10 pp
54 Papua New Guinea51.60 %−0.30 pp
55 Australia51.90 %—
56 Myanmar51.90 %—
57 Algeria52.10 %+0.20 pp

General government gross debt as a share of GDP (IMF World Economic Outlook, annual).

How to read this figure

Central government debt as a share of GDP (World Bank). General government debt (including local government and social funds) can be meaningfully higher; comparisons across countries are indicative.

Next, about Australia

Debt per personGDP growthInflation rate
Government debt, all countries ranked →Compare Australia with another country →Everything about Australia →
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