South Korea vs Netherlands

South Korea vs Netherlands: Government debt

Government debt: 49.6% of GDP in South Korea in 2024 and 44.7% of GDP in Netherlands in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Korea, by 5.5 percentage points, or 1.13 times that in Netherlands.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · IMF

South Korea vs Netherlands: Government debtGovernment debt: 49.6% of GDP in South Korea in 2024 and 44.7% of GDP in Netherlands in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Korea, by 5.5 percentage points, or 1.13 times that in Netherlands.
South KoreaNetherlandsIMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)

What the numbers say

  • South Korea has been higher since 2022, when it overtook Netherlands.
  • The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts South Korea at 49.7% of GDP and Netherlands at 48% of GDP in 2031.

Every year

% of GDP · IMF

YearSouth KoreaNetherlands
202552.444.7
202449.644
202350.645.9
202249.748.4
20214850.5
202045.953.4
201939.747.7
201837.951.6
20173856
201639.160.9
201538.863.8
201437.967.2
20133667.2
201233.565.7
2011–61.2
2010–58.9
2009–56.3
2008–54.4
2007–42.7
2006–45
2005–49.6
2004–50.1
2003–49.8
2002–48.7
2001–49.4
2000–52.2
1999–58.6
1998–62.7
1997–65.7
1996–71.3
1995–73
1994–73.5
1993–76.7
1992–75.6
1991–74.8
1990–75
1989–73.7
1988–73.7
1987–71.3
1986–69
1985–67.1
1984–61.9
1983–58.4
1982–52.4
1981–46.9
1980–43.6
  • 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
YearSouth KoreaNetherlands
202647.345.4
202746.245.7
20284745.8
202948.246.3
203049.247.1
203149.748

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 Netherlands

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