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MacroPapua New Guinea

Government debt in Papua New Guinea

How indebted is the state my taxes would go to?

Papua New Guinea's government debt is 51.60 % — #54 of 125 countries on the atlas (lower is better). Period 2025.

51.60%

Checked 24 Oct 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 Papua New Guinea over time

54.80 %35.55 %16.30 %54.80 % · 202316.30 % · 20111994: 40.10 %1995: 36.60 %1996: 37.80 %1997: 43.90 %1998: 45.70 %1999: 41.80 %2000: 42.30 %2001: 47.70 %2002: 48.40 %2003: 40.40 %2004: 37.20 %2005: 31.60 %2006: 26.00 %2007: 22.20 %2008: 21.60 %2009: 21.70 %2010: 17.30 %2011: 16.30 %2012: 19.10 %2013: 24.90 %2014: 26.90 %2015: 29.90 %2016: 33.70 %2017: 32.50 %2018: 36.70 %2019: 38.20 %2020: 48.70 %2021: 53.80 %2022: 49.20 %2023: 54.80 %2024: 53.30 %2025: 51.60 %19942009202551.60 %
32 official observations, 1994 → 2025. Every point is a published value — never interpolated.
Rank
#54 of 125
lower is better
Ranked behind
57 %
71 of 125 countries
Latest move
▼ 1.70 pp
since 2024
Below its peak
3.20 pp
peak 54.80 % in 2023
Full series
▲ 11.50 pp
since 1994

vs median 54.70 %: −3.10 pp (better)

Among 125 countries

6 of 125 countries between 12.30 % and 17.90 %2 of 125 countries between 17.90 % and 23.49 %10 of 125 countries between 23.49 % and 29.09 %11 of 125 countries between 29.09 % and 34.68 %8 of 125 countries between 34.68 % and 40.28 %9 of 125 countries between 40.28 % and 45.88 %7 of 125 countries between 45.88 % and 51.47 %13 of 125 countries between 51.47 % and 57.07 %8 of 125 countries between 57.07 % and 62.66 %10 of 125 countries between 62.66 % and 68.26 %4 of 125 countries between 68.26 % and 73.85 %3 of 125 countries between 73.85 % and 79.45 %7 of 125 countries between 79.45 % and 85.05 %6 of 125 countries between 85.05 % and 90.64 %2 of 125 countries between 90.64 % and 96.24 %6 of 125 countries between 96.24 % and 101.83 %2 of 125 countries between 101.83 % and 107.43 %1 of 125 countries between 107.43 % and 113.02 %2 of 125 countries between 113.02 % and 118.62 %1 of 125 countries between 124.22 % and 129.81 %2 of 125 countries between 135.41 % and 141.00 %5 of 125 countries between 141.00 % and 146.60 %median 54.70 %Papua New Guinea: ahead of 57 % of the 125 countries with a published government debtPapua New Guinea 51.60 %12.30 %146.60 %
Half of all 125 countries sit between 36.10 % and 81.70 %. Papua New Guinea is ahead of 57 % of them. Axis trimmed to the 2nd–98th percentile; 5 values beyond it sit in the end bars.

The neighbourhood

#CountryGovernment debtvs Papua New Guinea
52 Ghana48.80 %−2.80 pp
53 Tanzania49.80 %−1.80 pp
54 Papua New Guinea51.60 %—
55 Australia51.90 %+0.30 pp
56 Myanmar51.90 %+0.30 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 Papua New Guinea

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