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MacroChina

Government debt in China

How indebted is the state my taxes would go to?

China's government debt is 99.20 % — #108 of 124 countries on the atlas (lower is better). Period 2025.

99.20%

Checked 8 Sept 2026Period 2025

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

The central government owes about 1.0 years' worth of the country's entire economic output.

Government debt in China over time

99.20 %59.80 %20.40 %20.40 % · 19971995: 21.40 %1996: 21.20 %1997: 20.40 %1998: 20.40 %1999: 21.60 %2000: 22.70 %2001: 24.30 %2002: 25.60 %2003: 26.40 %2004: 26.00 %2005: 25.90 %2006: 25.20 %2007: 28.70 %2008: 26.70 %2009: 34.00 %2010: 33.30 %2011: 33.20 %2012: 33.80 %2013: 36.40 %2014: 39.30 %2015: 40.80 %2016: 50.00 %2017: 53.90 %2018: 55.90 %2019: 59.80 %2020: 70.10 %2021: 72.10 %2022: 77.30 %2023: 84.10 %2024: 90.40 %2025: 99.20 %19952010202599.20 %
31 official observations, 1995 → 2025. Every point is a published value — never interpolated.
Rank
#108 of 124
lower is better
Ranked behind
13 %
16 of 124 countries
Latest move
▲ 8.80 pp
since 2024
Full series
▲ 77.80 pp
since 1995

In Asia: #32 of 37vs median 54.55 %: +44.65 pp (worse)

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 %China: ahead of 13 % of the 124 countries with a published government debtChina 99.20 %12.30 %145.70 %
Half of all 124 countries sit between 36.00 % and 80.30 %. China is ahead of 13 % of them. Axis trimmed to the 2nd–98th percentile; 5 values beyond it sit in the end bars.

The neighbourhood

#CountryGovernment debtvs China
106 Brazil93.30 %−5.90 pp
107 Barbados94.20 %−5.00 pp
108 China99.20 %—
109 Spain100.40 %+1.20 pp
110 Sri Lanka100.80 %+1.60 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 China

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