Australia vs Switzerland: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 51.9% of GDP in Australia and 40.1% of GDP in Switzerland, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Australia, by 11.8 percentage points, or 1.3 times that in Switzerland.
AustraliaSwitzerland
Watch it change on the mapChange since 1990, percentage points · IMF
Latest figures
% of GDP · IMF
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2025 | Projected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 51.9 2025 | 37.6 | 79 of 149 | 54.3 2031 |
| Switzerland | 40.1 2025 | 43.1 | 106 of 149 | 35.9 2031 |
What the numbers say
- Australia has been higher since 2018, when it overtook Switzerland.
- In 2025, Australia ranked 79 and Switzerland ranked 106 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Australia at 54.3% of GDP and Switzerland at 35.9% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Australia | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 51.9 | 40.1 |
| 2024 | 50.9 | 40.4 |
| 2023 | 49.4 | 40.2 |
| 2022 | 50 | 39.2 |
| 2021 | 55.4 | 43.3 |
| 2020 | 56.9 | 45.3 |
| 2019 | 46.5 | 41 |
| 2018 | 41.6 | 41.1 |
| 2017 | 41 | 42 |
| 2016 | 40.5 | 42 |
| 2015 | 37.6 | 43.1 |
| 2014 | 33.9 | 42.9 |
| 2013 | 30.3 | 42.9 |
| 2012 | 27.4 | 43.6 |
| 2011 | 24 | 42.9 |
| 2010 | 20.3 | 42.6 |
| 2009 | 16.6 | 44.3 |
| 2008 | 11.7 | 46.2 |
| 2007 | 9.6 | 45.9 |
| 2006 | 9.9 | 47.9 |
| 2005 | 10.8 | 54.2 |
| 2004 | 11.9 | 57.2 |
| 2003 | 13.2 | 56.3 |
| 2002 | 15 | 57 |
| 2001 | 17.1 | 50.8 |
| 2000 | 19.5 | 51.9 |
| 1999 | 22.5 | 52 |
| 1998 | 23.7 | 55.4 |
| 1997 | 25.9 | 53.1 |
| 1996 | 29.3 | 50.7 |
| 1995 | 31.1 | 49.4 |
| 1994 | 31.7 | 46.5 |
| 1993 | 30.6 | 43.8 |
| 1992 | 27.6 | 39.1 |
| 1991 | 21.6 | 34.8 |
| 1990 | 16.4 | 33.1 |
| 1989 | 17 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Australia | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 52.6 | 38.3 |
| 2027 | 53.2 | 37.8 |
| 2028 | 53.7 | 37.1 |
| 2029 | 54.1 | 37 |
| 2030 | 54.3 | 36.2 |
| 2031 | 54.3 | 35.9 |
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