China vs India: External debt as a share of gross national income
China
13.0%
in 2024
India
18.6%
in 2024
China rank
115th
India rank
107th
External debt as a share of gross national income over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 18.6% against 13.0% in China, a difference of 5.6%.
That makes India's figure about 1.4 times China's.
Across all 25 years both countries report, India has been ahead every year.
China ranks 115th and India ranks 107th of 121 countries.
India has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 11.5% | 18.8% | 7.3% | India |
| 2010s | 13.8% | 20.6% | 6.8% | India |
| 2020s | 14.2% | 19.2% | 5.0% | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher external debt as a share of gross national income, China or India?
- India, at 18.6% against 13.0% in China as of 2024.
- What is the difference in external debt as a share of gross national income between China and India?
- 5.6%, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do China and India rank globally for external debt as a share of gross national income?
- China ranks 115th and India ranks 107th of 121 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Bank – processed by Our World in Data, published as External debt as a share of gross national income. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
External debt stocks as a proportion of GNI (%).