Australia

Government debt in Australia

Government debt in Australia: 17% of GDP in 1989 and 51.9% of GDP in 2025, by IMF estimates.

Latest, 2025
51.9% of GDP
Since 1989
+34.9 percentage points
Rank, 2025
79 of 149
counting from the highest
Projected, 2031
54.3% of GDP
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)

% of GDP · IMF

Government debt in AustraliaGovernment debt in Australia: 17% of GDP in 1989 and 51.9% of GDP in 2025, by IMF estimates. The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts it at 54.3% of GDP in 2031.
Estimates, IMFIMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)

What the numbers say

  • The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts it at 54.3% of GDP in 2031.
  • The highest was 56.9% of GDP in 2020, the lowest 9.6% of GDP in 2007.

Every year

% of GDP · IMF

YearAustralia
202551.9
202450.9
202349.4
202250
202155.4
202056.9
201946.5
201841.6
201741
201640.5
201537.6
201433.9
201330.3
201227.4
201124
201020.3
200916.6
200811.7
20079.6
20069.9
200510.8
200411.9
200313.2
200215
200117.1
200019.5
199922.5
199823.7
199725.9
199629.3
199531.1
199431.7
199330.6
199227.6
199121.6
199016.4
198917
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
YearAustralia
202652.6
202753.2
202853.7
202954.1
203054.3
203154.3

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

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