Iraq vs Syria

Iraq vs Syria: Government debt

Government debt: 52.8% of GDP in Iraq in 2025 and 31.2% of GDP in Syria in 2009, by IMF estimates. In 2009 the value was higher in Iraq, by 56.2 percentage points, or 2.8 times that in Syria.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · IMF

Iraq vs Syria: Government debtGovernment debt: 52.8% of GDP in Iraq in 2025 and 31.2% of GDP in Syria in 2009, by IMF estimates. In 2009 the value was higher in Iraq, by 56.2 percentage points, or 2.8 times that in Syria.
IraqSyriaIMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)

What the numbers say

  • Iraq has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2004.
  • The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Iraq at 73.3% of GDP in 2031.
  • The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Syria at 30% of GDP in 2010.

Every year

% of GDP · IMF

YearIraqSyria
202552.8–
202445.7–
202342.1–
202239–
202154.7–
202072.5–
201941.7–
201844.4–
201755.9–
201660.3–
201548.3–
201427.6–
201332–
201234.8–
201140.7–
201053.530
200987.431.2
200874.237.3
2007117.142.7
2006143.245
2005227.350.7
2004344.3113
2003–133.4
2002–132.4
2001–144.5
2000–152.1
1999–147.7
1998–151.2
1997–147.6
1996–141.5
1995–152.6
1994–163
1993–171.9
1992–173.6
1991–182.4
1990–189.8
  • 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
YearIraqSyria
202671.1–
202765.2–
202862.9–
202965.3–
203068.7–
203173.3–

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

Iraq vs Syria

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