South Korea vs United Kingdom

South Korea vs United Kingdom: Government debt

Government debt: 49.6% of GDP in South Korea in 2024 and 102.1% of GDP in United Kingdom in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 49.8 percentage points, or 2.01 times that in South Korea.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · IMF

South Korea vs United Kingdom: Government debtGovernment debt: 49.6% of GDP in South Korea in 2024 and 102.1% of GDP in United Kingdom in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 49.8 percentage points, or 2.01 times that in South Korea.
South KoreaUnited KingdomIMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)

What the numbers say

  • United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom at 100.2% of GDP in 2031.

Every year

% of GDP · IMF

YearSouth KoreaUnited Kingdom
202552.4102.1
202449.699.4
202350.698.3
202249.797.1
202148103
202045.9104.4
201939.784.5
201837.985.3
20173885.9
201639.187.2
201538.887.3
201437.986.4
20133684.8
201233.584
2011–81
2010–75.5
2009–64.6
2008–50.7
2007–43.1
2006–42.1
2005–41
2004–39.8
2003–36.8
2002–35.5
2001–35
2000–37.7
1999–40.5
1998–42
1997–44.1
1996–43.7
1995–43.7
1994–40.8
1993–38
1992–33.3
1991–28.5
1990–28.5
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
YearSouth KoreaUnited Kingdom
202647.3102
202746.2102.5
202847102.3
202948.2101.6
203049.2100.9
203149.7100.2

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

South Korea vs United Kingdom

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment