Government debt by instrument coverage — Debt securities and loans in Australia
Australia: Government debt by instrument coverage — Debt securities and loans was 53.03 Percentage of GDP in 2026. ◆ Volatile
Government debt by instrument coverage — Debt securities and loans in Australia, 1995–2026
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of GDP.
Analysis
In 2026, government debt by instrument coverage — debt securities and loans in Australia stood at 53.03 Percentage of GDP.
The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 50.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government debt by instrument coverage — debt securities and loans in Australia peaked at 55.12 Percentage of GDP in 2021 and was at its lowest, 8.6 Percentage of GDP, in 2007.
Australia ranks 17th of 25 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Government debt by instrument coverage — Debt securities and loans in Australia, year by year
| Year | Percentage of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 18.24 Percentage of GDP | — |
| 1996 | 16.51 Percentage of GDP | -9.5% |
| 1997 | 14.22 Percentage of GDP | -13.9% |
| 1998 | 11.52 Percentage of GDP | -19.0% |
| 1999 | 22.61 Percentage of GDP | +96.2% |
| 2000 | 16.67 Percentage of GDP | -26.2% |
| 2001 | 16.08 Percentage of GDP | -3.6% |
| 2002 | 14.69 Percentage of GDP | -8.6% |
| 2003 | 12.92 Percentage of GDP | -12.1% |
| 2004 | 11.44 Percentage of GDP | -11.4% |
| 2005 | 10.54 Percentage of GDP | -7.9% |
| 2006 | 9.44 Percentage of GDP | -10.5% |
| 2007 | 8.6 Percentage of GDP | -8.9% |
| 2008 | 8.75 Percentage of GDP | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 9.32 Percentage of GDP | +6.5% |
| 2010 | 16.44 Percentage of GDP | +76.4% |
| 2011 | 19.92 Percentage of GDP | +21.1% |
| 2012 | 23.69 Percentage of GDP | +19.0% |
| 2013 | 26.43 Percentage of GDP | +11.5% |
| 2014 | 29.27 Percentage of GDP | +10.7% |
| 2015 | 32.08 Percentage of GDP | +9.6% |
| 2016 | 35.28 Percentage of GDP | +10.0% |
| 2017 | 36.81 Percentage of GDP | +4.3% |
| 2018 | 37.52 Percentage of GDP | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 36.71 Percentage of GDP | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 39.07 Percentage of GDP | +6.4% |
| 2021 | 55.12 Percentage of GDP | +41.1% |
| 2022 | 50.75 Percentage of GDP | -7.9% |
| 2023 | 50.32 Percentage of GDP | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 50.82 Percentage of GDP | +1.0% |
| 2025 | 52.28 Percentage of GDP | +2.9% |
| 2026 | 53.03 Percentage of GDP | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.62 Percentage of GDP | 11.52 Percentage of GDP | 22.61 Percentage of GDP | 5 |
| 2000s | 11.85 Percentage of GDP | 8.6 Percentage of GDP | 16.67 Percentage of GDP | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.42 Percentage of GDP | 16.44 Percentage of GDP | 37.52 Percentage of GDP | 10 |
| 2020s | 50.2 Percentage of GDP | 39.07 Percentage of GDP | 55.12 Percentage of GDP | 7 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More economy & growth data for Australia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.36 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.26 Percent per annum (2029)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), annual growth 2.3 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.9365 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per capita 60,991 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), annual growth 3.62 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per unit of GDP 1.45 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per capita 94,238 current LCU per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant 2015 US$), annual 1.25 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant 2015 US$), per unit 0.8814 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government debt by instrument coverage — debt securities and loans in Australia?
- Government debt by instrument coverage — debt securities and loans in Australia was 53.03 Percentage of GDP in 2026, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest government debt by instrument coverage — debt securities and loans recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 55.12 Percentage of GDP in 2021.
- What is the lowest government debt by instrument coverage — debt securities and loans recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.6 Percentage of GDP in 2007.
- How does Australia rank for government debt by instrument coverage — debt securities and loans?
- Australia ranks 17th out of 25 countries with data for 2026.
- Is government debt by instrument coverage — debt securities and loans rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 50.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Government debt by instrument coverage — Debt securities and loans. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The magnitude of government debt and debt-to-GDP ratios varies depending on which measure of debt is used. To promote international comparability, the IMF, the OECD and the World Bank have agreed on a set of standard debt measures, which are defined in the Public Sector Debt Statistics Guide for Compilers and Users and the Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014. Government gross debt is shown in four categories: D1 to D4. D1 is the narrowest measure, comprising only two financial instruments: debt securities and loans. D4 (‘total gross debt’) is the broadest measure and includes debt securities, loans, Special Drawing Rights, currency and deposits, other accounts payable and insurance, pensions and standardised guarantees. The D1 to D3 measures are comparable between OECD countries. D4 is the preferred measure of debt in the international accounting standards (System of National Accounts or SNA) but cross-country comparability is more difficult for D4 because countries have different approaches to recording unfunded pension liabilities for government employees. For more information, please see the document: Measuring Government Debt: D1-D4