Afghanistan vs Iran

Afghanistan vs Iran: Government debt

Government debt: 7.6% of GDP in Afghanistan in 2025 and 31.2% of GDP in Iran in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Iran, by 22.3 percentage points, or 3.5 times that in Afghanistan.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · IMF

Afghanistan vs Iran: Government debtGovernment debt: 7.6% of GDP in Afghanistan in 2025 and 31.2% of GDP in Iran in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Iran, by 22.3 percentage points, or 3.5 times that in Afghanistan.
AfghanistanIranIMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)

What the numbers say

  • Iran has been higher since 2010, when it overtook Afghanistan.
  • The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Iran at 43.4% of GDP in 2031.

Every year

% of GDP · IMF

YearAfghanistanIran
20257.635.6
20248.931.2
20238.329.6
202210.634.5
202111.139.9
20207.347.1
20196.144.6
20187.441.6
2017843.2
20168.446
20159.232.1
20148.710.9
20136.910.2
20126.811.8
20117.510.6
20107.712.8
200916.311.5
200819.110.6
200720.113.5
20062315.2
2005206.418.3
200424521.1
2003270.622
200234623.4
2001–21
2000–18.2
1999–22.2
1998–29.6
1997–30.9
1996–29.3
  • 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
YearAfghanistanIran
2026–39.1
2027–40.2
2028–40.8
2029–41.7
2030–42.7
2031–43.4

Each country on its own

Good to know

  • What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
  • Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
  • The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
  • Ranks count the 149 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Afghanistan vs Iran

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