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MacroAustralia

Government debt in Australia

How indebted is the state my taxes would go to?

Australia's government debt is 51.00 % — #55 of 124 countries on the atlas (lower is better). Period 2025.

51.00%

Checked 8 Sept 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: 50.60 %2025: 51.00 %19892007202551.00 %
37 official observations, 1989 → 2025. Every point is a published value — never interpolated.
Rank
#55 of 124
lower is better
Ranked behind
56 %
69 of 124 countries
Latest move
▲ 0.40 pp
since 2024
Below its peak
5.90 pp
peak 56.90 % in 2020
Full series
▲ 34.00 pp
since 1989

vs median 54.55 %: −3.55 pp (better)

Among 124 countries

5 of 124 countries between 12.30 % and 17.86 %4 of 124 countries between 17.86 % and 23.42 %9 of 124 countries between 23.42 % and 28.97 %9 of 124 countries between 28.97 % and 34.53 %9 of 124 countries between 34.53 % and 40.09 %11 of 124 countries between 40.09 % and 45.65 %8 of 124 countries between 45.65 % and 51.21 %11 of 124 countries between 51.21 % and 56.77 %8 of 124 countries between 56.77 % and 62.32 %7 of 124 countries between 62.32 % and 67.88 %6 of 124 countries between 67.88 % and 73.44 %5 of 124 countries between 73.44 % and 79.00 %6 of 124 countries between 79.00 % and 84.56 %7 of 124 countries between 84.56 % and 90.12 %2 of 124 countries between 90.12 % and 95.67 %3 of 124 countries between 95.67 % and 101.23 %4 of 124 countries between 101.23 % and 106.79 %1 of 124 countries between 106.79 % and 112.35 %2 of 124 countries between 112.35 % and 117.91 %1 of 124 countries between 123.47 % and 129.02 %2 of 124 countries between 134.58 % and 140.14 %4 of 124 countries between 140.14 % and 145.70 %median 54.40 %Australia: ahead of 56 % of the 124 countries with a published government debtAustralia 51.00 %12.30 %145.70 %
Half of all 124 countries sit between 36.00 % and 80.30 %. Australia is ahead of 56 % of them. Axis trimmed to the 2nd–98th percentile; 5 values beyond it sit in the end bars.

The neighbourhood

#CountryGovernment debtvs Australia
53 Armenia49.00 %−2.00 pp
54 Tanzania49.70 %−1.30 pp
55 Australia51.00 %—
56 Angola51.30 %+0.30 pp
57 Myanmar51.90 %+0.90 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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