Portugal vs United Kingdom

Portugal vs United Kingdom: Government debt

Government debt in 2025: 89.7% of GDP in Portugal and 102.1% of GDP in United Kingdom, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 12.4 percentage points, or 1.14 times that in Portugal.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · IMF

Portugal vs United Kingdom: Government debtGovernment debt in 2025: 89.7% of GDP in Portugal and 102.1% of GDP in United Kingdom, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 12.4 percentage points, or 1.14 times that in Portugal.
PortugalUnited KingdomIMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)

What the numbers say

  • United Kingdom has been higher since 2023, when it overtook Portugal.
  • In 2025, Portugal ranked 23 and United Kingdom ranked 12 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Portugal at 72% of GDP and United Kingdom at 100.2% of GDP in 2031.

Every year

% of GDP · IMF

YearPortugalUnited Kingdom
202589.7102.1
202493.599.4
202396.998.3
2022111.297.1
2021123.9103
2020134.1104.4
2019116.184.5
2018121.185.3
201712685.9
2016131.287.2
201513187.3
2014132.586.4
2013130.884.8
2012128.684
201111481
201099.975.5
200987.664.6
200875.550.7
200772.743.1
200673.742.1
200572.241
200467.139.8
200363.936.8
20026035.5
200157.435
200054.237.7
199955.440.5
199855.642
199758.244.1
199664.843.7
199563.543.7
199461.640.8
199358.438
199259.333.3
199165.228.5
199061.428.5
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
YearPortugalUnited Kingdom
202685.1102
202781102.5
202877.9102.3
202975.3101.6
203073.4100.9
203172100.2

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

Portugal vs United Kingdom

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