Papua New Guinea

Government debt in Papua New Guinea

Government debt in Papua New Guinea: 40.1% of GDP in 1994 and 51.6% of GDP in 2025, by IMF estimates.

Latest, 2025
51.6% of GDP
Since 1994
+11.5 percentage points
Rank, 2025
80 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 Papua New GuineaGovernment debt in Papua New Guinea: 40.1% of GDP in 1994 and 51.6% 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 54.8% of GDP in 2023, the lowest 16.3% of GDP in 2011.

Every year

% of GDP · IMF

YearPapua New Guinea
202551.6
202453.3
202354.8
202249.2
202153.8
202048.7
201938.2
201836.7
201732.5
201633.7
201529.9
201426.9
201324.9
201219.1
201116.3
201017.3
200921.7
200821.6
200722.2
200626
200531.6
200437.2
200340.4
200248.4
200147.7
200042.3
199941.8
199845.7
199743.9
199637.8
199536.6
199440.1
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
YearPapua New Guinea
202646.8
202742
202839.1
202936.6
203034.2
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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