Japan vs United Kingdom

Japan vs United Kingdom: Government debt

Government debt: 213.6% of GDP in Japan in 2024 and 102.1% of GDP in United Kingdom in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Japan, by 114.2 percentage points, or 2.15 times that in United Kingdom.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · IMF

Japan vs United Kingdom: Government debtGovernment debt: 213.6% of GDP in Japan in 2024 and 102.1% of GDP in United Kingdom in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Japan, by 114.2 percentage points, or 2.15 times that in United Kingdom.
JapanUnited KingdomIMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)

What the numbers say

  • Japan has been higher since 1981, when it overtook United Kingdom.
  • The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Japan at 188.9% of GDP and United Kingdom at 100.2% of GDP in 2031.

Every year

% of GDP · IMF

YearJapanUnited Kingdom
2025204.8102.1
2024213.699.4
2023220.198.3
202222897.1
2021222.6103
2020228.8104.4
2019206.384.5
2018203.785.3
2017203.185.9
2016202.187.2
2015200.187.3
2014203.686.4
2013201.284.8
2012197.184
2011190.681
2010178.675.5
2009172.964.6
2008153.650.7
2007150.443.1
2006152.142.1
2005153.441
2004148.839.8
2003140.236.8
2002134.635.5
2001126.835
2000118.537.7
1999113.540.5
1998101.642
199791.344.1
199685.343.7
199580.743.7
199473.340.8
199363.238
199257.933.3
199154.128.5
199054.828.5
198956.932.6
198862.437.1
198765.839.3
198664.241.4
198559.241.4
198456.942.3
198355.141.9
198250.143.1
198145.844.9
198041.442.7
  • 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
YearJapanUnited Kingdom
2026199.4102
2027196.4102.5
2028193.8102.3
2029191.5101.6
2030190.1100.9
2031188.9100.2

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

Japan vs United Kingdom

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