Singapore vs United Kingdom
Singapore vs United Kingdom: Government debt
Government debt: 165.8% of GDP in Singapore in 2024 and 102.1% of GDP in United Kingdom in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Singapore, by 66.4 percentage points, or 1.67 times that in United Kingdom.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Singapore has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Singapore at 169.2% of GDP and United Kingdom at 100.2% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Singapore | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 165.7 | 102.1 |
| 2024 | 165.8 | 99.4 |
| 2023 | 170.4 | 98.3 |
| 2022 | 153.3 | 97.1 |
| 2021 | 139.9 | 103 |
| 2020 | 147.1 | 104.4 |
| 2019 | 127.7 | 84.5 |
| 2018 | 109.2 | 85.3 |
| 2017 | 107.3 | 85.9 |
| 2016 | 105.9 | 87.2 |
| 2015 | 102.1 | 87.3 |
| 2014 | 97.8 | 86.4 |
| 2013 | 98.2 | 84.8 |
| 2012 | 106.7 | 84 |
| 2011 | 103.1 | 81 |
| 2010 | 98.7 | 75.5 |
| 2009 | 101.7 | 64.6 |
| 2008 | 97.9 | 50.7 |
| 2007 | 87.8 | 43.1 |
| 2006 | 86.5 | 42.1 |
| 2005 | 92.7 | 41 |
| 2004 | 95.7 | 39.8 |
| 2003 | 99.1 | 36.8 |
| 2002 | 96.3 | 35.5 |
| 2001 | 94.5 | 35 |
| 2000 | 82.3 | 37.7 |
| 1999 | 85.3 | 40.5 |
| 1998 | 84.7 | 42 |
| 1997 | 70.8 | 44.1 |
| 1996 | 71.3 | 43.7 |
| 1995 | 69.8 | 43.7 |
| 1994 | 70.7 | 40.8 |
| 1993 | 71.2 | 38 |
| 1992 | 79 | 33.3 |
| 1991 | 76.4 | 28.5 |
| 1990 | 73.5 | 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 |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Singapore | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 166.4 | 102 |
| 2027 | 167.1 | 102.5 |
| 2028 | 167.9 | 102.3 |
| 2029 | 168.5 | 101.6 |
| 2030 | 169 | 100.9 |
| 2031 | 169.2 | 100.2 |
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
Singapore vs United Kingdom
Health
- Life expectancySingapore: 83.7 years in 2023United Kingdom: 81.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySingapore: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024United Kingdom: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySingapore: 1.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023United Kingdom: 3.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterSingapore: 100% in 2022United Kingdom: 99.8% in 2022
- DepressionSingapore: 3.44% in 2017United Kingdom: 4.12% in 2017
- Suicide rateSingapore: 7.3 per 100,000 people in 2017United Kingdom: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSingapore: 5.79 million people in 2023United Kingdom: 68.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthSingapore: 0.81% a year in 2023United Kingdom: 0.7% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSingapore: 0.94 births per woman in 2023United Kingdom: 1.56 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSingapore: 100% in 2025United Kingdom: 83.3% in 2025
- Median ageSingapore: 35.1 years in 2023United Kingdom: 39.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSingapore: 13.1% in 2023United Kingdom: 19.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateSingapore: 4.7 per 1,000 people in 2023United Kingdom: 6.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSingapore: 3.05% of GDP in 2025United Kingdom: 2.35% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSingapore: $16.9B in 2025United Kingdom: $88B in 2025
- Military spending per personSingapore: $2,980 in 2025United Kingdom: $1,283 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSingapore: 18% of government spending in 2025United Kingdom: 5.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSingapore: 59,000 people in 2020United Kingdom: 153,000 people in 2020
- National powerSingapore: 0.25% of world capability in 2022United Kingdom: 1.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSingapore: 1.72% of the labour force in 2020United Kingdom: 0.45% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSingapore: 57 million TIV in 2025United Kingdom: 609 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSingapore: 79 million TIV in 2025United Kingdom: 702 million TIV in 2025