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MacroSwitzerland

Government debt in Switzerland

How indebted is the state my taxes would go to?

Switzerland's government debt is 40.10 % — #37 of 125 countries on the atlas (lower is better). Period 2025.

40.10%

Checked 23 Oct 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 Switzerland over time

57.20 %45.15 %33.10 %57.20 % · 200433.10 % · 19901990: 33.10 %1991: 34.80 %1992: 39.10 %1993: 43.80 %1994: 46.50 %1995: 49.40 %1996: 50.70 %1997: 53.00 %1998: 55.40 %1999: 52.00 %2000: 51.90 %2001: 50.80 %2002: 57.00 %2003: 56.30 %2004: 57.20 %2005: 54.20 %2006: 47.90 %2007: 45.90 %2008: 46.20 %2009: 44.30 %2010: 42.60 %2011: 42.90 %2012: 43.60 %2013: 42.90 %2014: 42.90 %2015: 43.10 %2016: 42.00 %2017: 42.00 %2018: 41.10 %2019: 41.00 %2020: 45.30 %2021: 43.30 %2022: 39.20 %2023: 40.20 %2024: 40.40 %2025: 40.10 %19902008202540.10 %
36 official observations, 1990 → 2025. Every point is a published value — never interpolated.
Rank
#37 of 125
lower is better
Ranked behind
70 %
88 of 125 countries
Latest move
▼ 0.30 pp
since 2024
Below its peak
17.10 pp
peak 57.20 % in 2004
Full series
▲ 7.00 pp
since 1990

In Europe: #13 of 37vs median 54.70 %: −14.60 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 %Switzerland: ahead of 70 % of the 125 countries with a published government debtSwitzerland 40.10 %12.30 %146.60 %
Half of all 125 countries sit between 36.10 % and 81.70 %. Switzerland is ahead of 70 % of them. Axis trimmed to the 2nd–98th percentile; 5 values beyond it sit in the end bars.

The neighbourhood

#CountryGovernment debtvs Switzerland
35 Kyrgyzstan39.40 %−0.70 pp
36 Lithuania39.50 %−0.60 pp
37 Switzerland40.10 %—
38 Honduras40.30 %+0.20 pp
39 Indonesia40.90 %+0.80 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 Switzerland

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