Nigeria vs United Kingdom

Nigeria vs United Kingdom: Government debt

Government debt in 2025: 36.1% of GDP in Nigeria and 102.1% of GDP in United Kingdom, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 66 percentage points, or 2.83 times that in Nigeria.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · IMF

Nigeria vs United Kingdom: Government debtGovernment debt in 2025: 36.1% of GDP in Nigeria and 102.1% of GDP in United Kingdom, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 66 percentage points, or 2.83 times that in Nigeria.
NigeriaUnited KingdomIMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)

What the numbers say

  • United Kingdom has been higher since 2002, when it overtook Nigeria.
  • In 2025, Nigeria ranked 114 and United Kingdom ranked 12 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Nigeria at 31.9% of GDP and United Kingdom at 100.2% of GDP in 2031.

Every year

% of GDP · IMF

YearNigeriaUnited Kingdom
202536.1102.1
202439.399.4
202336.398.3
202229.897.1
202126.6103
202025.7104.4
201921.484.5
201820.485.3
20171885.9
201617.487.2
201514.987.3
201415.886.4
20131384.8
201212.584
201112.481
20106.775.5
20096.164.6
20085.250.7
20075.843.1
20066.742.1
200513.541
200425.239.8
200329.936.8
200230.735.5
200137.735
200040.937.7
199946.140.5
199815.842
199717.144.1
199617.943.7
199524.243.7
199439.740.8
199350.438
199249.833.3
199153.228.5
199050.928.5
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
YearNigeriaUnited Kingdom
202634.7102
202732.8102.5
202832.9102.3
202932.5101.6
203032.2100.9
203131.9100.2

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

Nigeria vs United Kingdom

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