Central government debt, total in South Asia
South Asia: Central government debt, total was 46.6% in 2018. ▬ Flat
Central government debt, total in South Asia, 1990–2018
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2018, central government debt, total in South Asia stood at 46.6%. That is the lowest value across all 29 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.2% on the previous year and down 18.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, central government debt, total in South Asia peaked at 63.9% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 46.6%, in 2018.
Central government debt, total in South Asia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 52.4% | — |
| 1991 | 51.9% | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 51.4% | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 53.5% | +4.0% |
| 1994 | 51.4% | -3.9% |
| 1995 | 49.4% | -3.9% |
| 1996 | 47.6% | -3.6% |
| 1997 | 51.7% | +8.7% |
| 1998 | 51.9% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 53.0% | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 56.6% | +6.7% |
| 2001 | 58.2% | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 61.5% | +5.6% |
| 2003 | 61.0% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 63.9% | +4.8% |
| 2005 | 63.1% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 60.6% | -4.0% |
| 2007 | 58.3% | -3.8% |
| 2008 | 57.1% | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 56.4% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 52.0% | -7.7% |
| 2011 | 52.2% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 51.3% | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 51.0% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 50.6% | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 50.8% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 47.7% | -6.2% |
| 2017 | 47.6% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 46.6% | -2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 51.4% | 47.6% | 53.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 59.7% | 56.4% | 63.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 50.0% | 46.6% | 52.2% | 9 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
- 1 Singapore 167.8% compare
- 2 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 130.7% compare
- 3 Barbados 125.0% compare
- 4 United States of America 115.8% compare
- 5 Bahrain 111.6% compare
- 6 Bhutan 111.0% compare
- 7 El Salvador 107.3% compare
More economy & growth data for South Asia
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 1,589 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 6.17 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 0.0821 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 221.99 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 5.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 0.5874 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 0.5559 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 5.44 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 1,504 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 275.19 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is central government debt, total in South Asia?
- Central government debt, total in South Asia was 46.6% in 2018, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest central government debt, total recorded in South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 63.9% in 2004.
- What is the lowest central government debt, total recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.6% in 2018.
- How does South Asia rank for central government debt, total?
- South Asia ranks 4th out of 7 groups with data for 2018.
- Is central government debt, total rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Asia 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.