Central government debt, total in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries): Central government debt, total was 24.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Central government debt, total in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries), 2008–2023
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2023, central government debt, total in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) stood at 24.2%.
The figure is down 4.2% on the previous year and up 34.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, central government debt, total in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 30.8% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 18.0%, in 2013.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Central government debt, total in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 18.0% | — |
| 2009 | 22.4% | +24.3% |
| 2010 | 21.0% | -6.4% |
| 2011 | 20.1% | -4.5% |
| 2012 | 19.3% | -3.6% |
| 2013 | 18.0% | -7.0% |
| 2014 | 20.3% | +12.6% |
| 2015 | 21.8% | +7.7% |
| 2016 | 22.6% | +3.6% |
| 2017 | 23.4% | +3.5% |
| 2018 | 23.1% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 24.5% | +6.0% |
| 2020 | 30.8% | +26.1% |
| 2021 | 28.6% | -7.2% |
| 2022 | 25.2% | -11.8% |
| 2023 | 24.2% | -4.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 20.2% | 18.0% | 22.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 21.4% | 18.0% | 24.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.2% | 24.2% | 30.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
- 4 United States of America 115.8% compare
- 5 Bahrain 111.6% compare
- 6 Bhutan 111.0% compare
- 7 El Salvador 107.3% compare
- 8 Spain 105.6% compare
- 9 San Marino 99.9% compare
- 10 Jamaica 97.9% compare
More economy & growth data for Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 1.86 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 5.09 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 8,599 current US$ per person (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 0.562 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0037 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 17.66 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 1,688 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 0.1103 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 57.17 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0105 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is central government debt, total in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Central government debt, total in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) was 24.2% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest central government debt, total recorded in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 30.8% in 2020.
- What is the lowest central government debt, total recorded in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.0% in 2013.
- How does Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for central government debt, total?
- Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 7th out of 7 groups with data for 2023.
- Is central government debt, total rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) data come from?
- The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Central government debt, total (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Debt is the entire stock of direct government fixed-term contractual obligations to others outstanding on a particular date. It includes domestic and foreign liabilities such as currency and money deposits, securities other than shares, and loans. It is the gross amount of government liabilities reduced by the amount of equity and financial derivatives held by the government. Because debt is a stock rather than a flow, it is measured as of a given date, usually the last day of the fiscal year. Central government is the part of general government that includes all administrative departments of the national executive, legislative, and judicial functions, other central agencies and those non-market producers controlled by the central government, whose competence extends normally over the whole economic territory. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.