China vs United Kingdom

China vs United Kingdom: Government debt

Government debt in 2025: 98.6% of GDP in China and 102.1% of GDP in United Kingdom, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 3.5 percentage points, or 1.04 times that in China.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · IMF

China vs United Kingdom: Government debtGovernment debt in 2025: 98.6% of GDP in China and 102.1% of GDP in United Kingdom, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 3.5 percentage points, or 1.04 times that in China.
ChinaUnited KingdomIMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)

What the numbers say

  • United Kingdom has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1995.
  • In 2025, China ranked 17 and United Kingdom ranked 12 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts China at 122.1% of GDP and United Kingdom at 100.2% of GDP in 2031.

Every year

% of GDP · IMF

YearChinaUnited Kingdom
202598.6102.1
202490.599.4
202384.198.3
202277.397.1
202172.1103
202070.6104.4
201959.984.5
201855.785.3
201753.785.9
20165087.2
201540.987.3
201439.486.4
201336.684.8
201233.984
20113381
201033.175.5
200933.964.6
200826.650.7
200728.843.1
200625.242.1
20052641
200425.939.8
200326.436.8
200225.535.5
200124.235
200022.637.7
199921.640.5
199820.442
199720.444.1
199621.243.7
199521.443.7
1994–40.8
1993–38
1992–33.3
1991–28.5
1990–28.5
1989–32.6
1988–37.1
1987–39.3
1986–41.4
1985–41.4
1984–42.3
1983–41.9
1982–43.1
1981–44.9
1980–42.7
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
YearChinaUnited Kingdom
2026104.4102
2027109.1102.5
2028113.2102.3
2029116.4101.6
2030119.5100.9
2031122.1100.2

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

China vs United Kingdom

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