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MacroIran

Government debt in Iran

How indebted is the state my taxes would go to?

Iran's government debt is 37.30 % — #33 of 124 countries on the atlas (lower is better). Period 2025.

37.30%

Checked 8 Sept 2026Period 2025

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

The central government owes about 0.4 years' worth of the country's entire economic output.

Government debt in Iran over time

47.10 %28.65 %10.20 %47.10 % · 202010.20 % · 20131996: 29.30 %1997: 30.90 %1998: 29.60 %1999: 22.20 %2000: 18.20 %2001: 21.00 %2002: 23.40 %2003: 21.90 %2004: 21.10 %2005: 18.30 %2006: 15.20 %2007: 13.50 %2008: 10.60 %2009: 11.50 %2010: 12.80 %2011: 10.60 %2012: 11.70 %2013: 10.20 %2014: 10.90 %2015: 32.10 %2016: 45.90 %2017: 43.20 %2018: 41.60 %2019: 44.60 %2020: 47.10 %2021: 39.90 %2022: 34.50 %2023: 29.60 %2024: 31.20 %2025: 37.30 %19962010202537.30 %
30 official observations, 1996 → 2025. Every point is a published value — never interpolated.
Rank
#33 of 124
lower is better
Ranked behind
73 %
91 of 124 countries
Latest move
▲ 6.10 pp
since 2024
Below its peak
9.80 pp
peak 47.10 % in 2020
Full series
▲ 8.00 pp
since 1996

In Asia: #15 of 37vs median 54.55 %: −17.25 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 %Iran: ahead of 73 % of the 124 countries with a published government debtIran 37.30 %12.30 %145.70 %
Half of all 124 countries sit between 36.00 % and 80.30 %. Iran is ahead of 73 % of them. Axis trimmed to the 2nd–98th percentile; 5 values beyond it sit in the end bars.

The neighbourhood

#CountryGovernment debtvs Iran
31 Kyrgyzstan36.00 %−1.30 pp
32 Moldova36.60 %−0.70 pp
33 Iran37.30 %—
34 Botswana38.60 %+1.30 pp
35 Switzerland39.40 %+2.10 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 Iran

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