South Korea vs Switzerland: Government debt

Government debt: 49.6% of GDP in South Korea in 2024 and 40.1% of GDP in Switzerland in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Korea, by 9.2 percentage points, or 1.23 times that in Switzerland.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · IMF

South KoreaSwitzerlandIMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)

What the numbers say

South Korea has been higher since 2020, when it overtook Switzerland.
The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts South Korea at 49.7% of GDP and Switzerland at 35.9% of GDP in 2031.

Every year

% of GDP · IMF

Year	South Korea	Switzerland
2025	52.4	40.1
2024	49.6	40.4
2023	50.6	40.2
2022	49.7	39.2
2021	48	43.3
2020	45.9	45.3
2019	39.7	41
2018	37.9	41.1
2017	38	42
2016	39.1	42
2015	38.8	43.1
2014	37.9	42.9
2013	36	42.9
2012	33.5	43.6
2011	–	42.9
2010	–	42.6
2009	–	44.3
2008	–	46.2
2007	–	45.9
2006	–	47.9
2005	–	54.2
2004	–	57.2
2003	–	56.3
2002	–	57
2001	–	50.8
2000	–	51.9
1999	–	52
1998	–	55.4
1997	–	53.1
1996	–	50.7
1995	–	49.4
1994	–	46.5
1993	–	43.8
1992	–	39.1
1991	–	34.8
1990	–	33.1

12.3Projected

IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031

Year	South Korea	Switzerland
2026	47.3	38.3
2027	46.2	37.8
2028	47	37.1
2029	48.2	37
2030	49.2	36.2
2031	49.7	35.9

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 Switzerland: Government debt

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

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