China

Government debt in China

Government debt in China: 21.4% of GDP in 1995 and 98.6% of GDP in 2025, by IMF estimates.

Latest, 2025
98.6% of GDP
Since 1995
+77.2 percentage points
Rank, 2025
17 of 149
counting from the highest
Projected, 2031
122.1% of GDP
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)
Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · IMF

Government debt in ChinaGovernment debt in China: 21.4% of GDP in 1995 and 98.6% of GDP in 2025, by IMF estimates. The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts it at 122.1% 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 122.1% of GDP in 2031.
  • The highest was 98.6% of GDP in 2025, the lowest 20.4% of GDP in 1997.

Every year

% of GDP · IMF

YearChina
202598.6
202490.5
202384.1
202277.3
202172.1
202070.6
201959.9
201855.7
201753.7
201650
201540.9
201439.4
201336.6
201233.9
201133
201033.1
200933.9
200826.6
200728.8
200625.2
200526
200425.9
200326.4
200225.5
200124.2
200022.6
199921.6
199820.4
199720.4
199621.2
199521.4
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
YearChina
2026104.4
2027109.1
2028113.2
2029116.4
2030119.5
2031122.1

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

China in numbers

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