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MacroSweden

Government debt in Sweden

How indebted is the state my taxes would go to?

Sweden's government debt is 34.90 % — #29 of 124 countries on the atlas (lower is better). Period 2025.

34.90%

Checked 8 Sept 2026Period 2025

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

The central government owes about 0.3 years' worth of the country's entire economic output.

Government debt in Sweden over time

68.90 %50.50 %32.10 %68.90 % · 199632.10 % · 20231993: 66.10 %1994: 68.60 %1995: 68.70 %1996: 68.90 %1997: 67.70 %1998: 65.40 %1999: 60.30 %2000: 50.40 %2001: 52.00 %2002: 49.90 %2003: 49.50 %2004: 48.70 %2005: 48.90 %2006: 43.80 %2007: 39.20 %2008: 37.90 %2009: 41.20 %2010: 38.60 %2011: 37.70 %2012: 38.00 %2013: 40.80 %2014: 45.70 %2015: 44.50 %2016: 42.90 %2017: 41.60 %2018: 39.90 %2019: 35.80 %2020: 40.40 %2021: 37.30 %2022: 34.20 %2023: 32.10 %2024: 33.90 %2025: 34.90 %19932009202534.90 %
33 official observations, 1993 → 2025. Every point is a published value — never interpolated.
Rank
#29 of 124
lower is better
Ranked behind
77 %
95 of 124 countries
Latest move
▲ 1.00 pp
since 2024
Below its peak
34.00 pp
peak 68.90 % in 1996
Full series
▼ 31.20 pp
since 1993

In Europe: #10 of 37vs median 54.55 %: −19.65 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 %Sweden: ahead of 77 % of the 124 countries with a published government debtSweden 34.90 %12.30 %145.70 %
Half of all 124 countries sit between 36.00 % and 80.30 %. Sweden is ahead of 77 % of them. Axis trimmed to the 2nd–98th percentile; 5 values beyond it sit in the end bars.

The neighbourhood

#CountryGovernment debtvs Sweden
27 Georgia34.30 %−0.60 pp
28 Nicaragua34.80 %−0.10 pp
29 Sweden34.90 %—
30 Nigeria35.50 %+0.60 pp
31 Kyrgyzstan36.00 %+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 Sweden

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