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MacroNetherlands

Government debt in Netherlands

How indebted is the state my taxes would go to?

Netherlands's government debt is 43.30 % — #43 of 124 countries on the atlas (lower is better). Period 2025.

43.30%

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 Netherlands over time

76.70 %59.70 %42.70 %76.70 % · 199342.70 % · 20071980: 43.60 %1981: 46.90 %1982: 52.40 %1983: 58.40 %1984: 61.90 %1985: 67.10 %1986: 68.90 %1987: 71.30 %1988: 73.70 %1989: 73.70 %1990: 75.00 %1991: 74.80 %1992: 75.60 %1993: 76.70 %1994: 73.50 %1995: 73.00 %1996: 71.20 %1997: 65.70 %1998: 62.70 %1999: 58.60 %2000: 52.20 %2001: 49.40 %2002: 48.70 %2003: 49.80 %2004: 50.10 %2005: 49.60 %2006: 45.00 %2007: 42.70 %2008: 54.40 %2009: 56.30 %2010: 58.90 %2011: 61.20 %2012: 65.70 %2013: 67.20 %2014: 67.20 %2015: 63.80 %2016: 60.90 %2017: 56.00 %2018: 51.60 %2019: 47.70 %2020: 53.40 %2021: 50.50 %2022: 48.40 %2023: 45.80 %2024: 43.70 %2025: 43.30 %19802003202543.30 %
46 official observations, 1980 → 2025. Every point is a published value — never interpolated.
Rank
#43 of 124
lower is better
Ranked behind
65 %
81 of 124 countries
Latest move
▼ 0.40 pp
since 2024
Below its peak
33.40 pp
peak 76.70 % in 1993
Full series
▼ 0.30 pp
since 1980

In Europe: #14 of 37vs median 54.55 %: −11.25 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 %Netherlands: ahead of 65 % of the 124 countries with a published government debtNetherlands 43.30 %12.30 %145.70 %
Half of all 124 countries sit between 36.00 % and 80.30 %. Netherlands is ahead of 65 % of them. Axis trimmed to the 2nd–98th percentile; 5 values beyond it sit in the end bars.

The neighbourhood

#CountryGovernment debtvs Netherlands
41 Bangladesh42.00 %−1.30 pp
42 Ethiopia43.10 %−0.20 pp
43 Netherlands43.30 %—
44 Zimbabwe43.80 %+0.50 pp
45 Czech Republic44.60 %+1.30 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 Netherlands

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