South Korea vs Spain

South Korea vs Spain: Government debt

Government debt: 49.6% of GDP in South Korea in 2024 and 100.5% of GDP in Spain in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Spain, by 51.8 percentage points, or 2.05 times that in South Korea.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · IMF

South Korea vs Spain: Government debtGovernment debt: 49.6% of GDP in South Korea in 2024 and 100.5% of GDP in Spain in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Spain, by 51.8 percentage points, or 2.05 times that in South Korea.
South KoreaSpainIMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)

What the numbers say

  • Spain has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2012.
  • The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts South Korea at 49.7% of GDP and Spain at 89.4% of GDP in 2031.

Every year

% of GDP · IMF

YearSouth KoreaSpain
202552.4100.5
202449.6101.4
202350.6105.2
202249.7109.2
202148115.6
202045.9119.2
201939.797.6
201837.999.7
201738101.1
201639.1102
201538.8102.4
201437.9104.4
201336100
201233.589.6
2011–69.5
2010–60.3
2009–53.1
2008–39.6
2007–35.7
2006–39
2005–42.4
2004–45.3
2003–47.7
2002–51.2
2001–54.1
2000–57.8
1999–60.9
1998–62.4
1997–64.3
1996–65.4
1995–61.6
1994–57
1993–54.6
1992–44.1
1991–41.9
1990–41.3
1989–39.9
1988–38.5
1987–41.9
1986–42.1
1985–40.9
1984–36
1983–29.5
1982–24.4
1981–19.5
1980–16.1
  • 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
YearSouth KoreaSpain
202647.397.6
202746.295.2
20284793.2
202948.292
203049.290.7
203149.789.4

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

South Korea vs Spain

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