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MacroNigeria

Government debt in Nigeria

How indebted is the state my taxes would go to?

Nigeria's government debt is 35.50 % — #30 of 124 countries on the atlas (lower is better). Period 2025.

35.50%

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 Nigeria over time

53.20 %29.20 %5.20 %53.20 % · 19915.20 % · 20081990: 50.90 %1991: 53.20 %1992: 49.80 %1993: 50.40 %1994: 39.70 %1995: 24.20 %1996: 17.90 %1997: 17.10 %1998: 15.80 %1999: 46.10 %2000: 40.90 %2001: 37.70 %2002: 30.70 %2003: 29.90 %2004: 25.20 %2005: 13.40 %2006: 6.70 %2007: 5.80 %2008: 5.20 %2009: 6.10 %2010: 6.70 %2011: 12.40 %2012: 12.50 %2013: 13.00 %2014: 15.80 %2015: 14.90 %2016: 17.40 %2017: 18.00 %2018: 20.40 %2019: 21.40 %2020: 25.70 %2021: 26.60 %2022: 29.80 %2023: 36.30 %2024: 39.30 %2025: 35.50 %19902008202535.50 %
36 official observations, 1990 → 2025. Every point is a published value — never interpolated.
Rank
#30 of 124
lower is better
Ranked behind
76 %
94 of 124 countries
Latest move
▼ 3.80 pp
since 2024
Below its peak
17.70 pp
peak 53.20 % in 1991
Full series
▼ 15.40 pp
since 1990

In Africa: #1 of 20vs median 54.55 %: −19.05 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 %Nigeria: ahead of 76 % of the 124 countries with a published government debtNigeria 35.50 %12.30 %145.70 %
Half of all 124 countries sit between 36.00 % and 80.30 %. Nigeria is ahead of 76 % of them. Axis trimmed to the 2nd–98th percentile; 5 values beyond it sit in the end bars.

The neighbourhood

#CountryGovernment debtvs Nigeria
28 Nicaragua34.80 %−0.70 pp
29 Sweden34.90 %−0.60 pp
30 Nigeria35.50 %—
31 Kyrgyzstan36.00 %+0.50 pp
32 Moldova36.60 %+1.10 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 Nigeria

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