Bhutan vs China: Government debt
Government debt: 108.7% of GDP in Bhutan in 2024 and 98.6% of GDP in China in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Bhutan, by 18.2 percentage points, or 1.2 times that in China.
BhutanChina
Watch it change on the map% of GDP · IMF · log scale
Latest figures
% of GDP · IMF
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2025 | Projected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bhutan | 108.7 2024 | 89.8 | — | 115.5 2031 |
| China | 98.6 2025 | 40.9 | 17 of 149 | 122.1 2031 |
What the numbers say
- Bhutan has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1995.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Bhutan at 115.5% of GDP and China at 122.1% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Bhutan | China |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 102.6 | 98.6 |
| 2024 | 108.7 | 90.5 |
| 2023 | 117.2 | 84.1 |
| 2022 | 119.9 | 77.3 |
| 2021 | 124.5 | 72.1 |
| 2020 | 116 | 70.6 |
| 2019 | 100.8 | 59.9 |
| 2018 | 103.4 | 55.7 |
| 2017 | 104.1 | 53.7 |
| 2016 | 103 | 50 |
| 2015 | 90.2 | 40.9 |
| 2014 | 89.8 | 39.4 |
| 2013 | 87.4 | 36.6 |
| 2012 | 71.5 | 33.9 |
| 2011 | 62.3 | 33 |
| 2010 | 55.8 | 33.1 |
| 2009 | 61 | 33.9 |
| 2008 | 60.6 | 26.6 |
| 2007 | 67.3 | 28.8 |
| 2006 | 80.1 | 25.2 |
| 2005 | 80.8 | 26 |
| 2004 | 76 | 25.9 |
| 2003 | 68.5 | 26.4 |
| 2002 | 57.7 | 25.5 |
| 2001 | 52.4 | 24.2 |
| 2000 | 44 | 22.6 |
| 1999 | 39.2 | 21.6 |
| 1998 | 36.4 | 20.4 |
| 1997 | 33 | 20.4 |
| 1996 | 36.9 | 21.2 |
| 1995 | 38.8 | 21.4 |
| 1994 | 53.2 | – |
| 1993 | 60.2 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Bhutan | China |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 116.2 | 104.4 |
| 2027 | 116.7 | 109.1 |
| 2028 | 115.7 | 113.2 |
| 2029 | 127.9 | 116.4 |
| 2030 | 122.1 | 119.5 |
| 2031 | 115.5 | 122.1 |
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