Nigeria

Government debt in Nigeria

Government debt in Nigeria: 50.9% of GDP in 1990 and 36.1% of GDP in 2025, by IMF estimates.

Latest, 2025
36.1% of GDP
Since 1990
−14.8 percentage points
Rank, 2025
114 of 149
counting from the highest
Projected, 2031
31.9% of GDP
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)
Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · IMF

Government debt in NigeriaGovernment debt in Nigeria: 50.9% of GDP in 1990 and 36.1% of GDP in 2025, by IMF estimates. The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts it at 31.9% 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 31.9% of GDP in 2031.
  • The highest was 53.2% of GDP in 1991, the lowest 5.2% of GDP in 2008.

Every year

% of GDP · IMF

YearNigeria
202536.1
202439.3
202336.3
202229.8
202126.6
202025.7
201921.4
201820.4
201718
201617.4
201514.9
201415.8
201313
201212.5
201112.4
20106.7
20096.1
20085.2
20075.8
20066.7
200513.5
200425.2
200329.9
200230.7
200137.7
200040.9
199946.1
199815.8
199717.1
199617.9
199524.2
199439.7
199350.4
199249.8
199153.2
199050.9
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
YearNigeria
202634.7
202732.8
202832.9
202932.5
203032.2
203131.9

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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