Government debt, % of GDP

Fetched 20 Sep 2026, 00:05 UTC
110.8 %
Context
As of Q1 2026
Recession, Nov 1948 to Oct 1949Recession, Jul 1953 to May 1954Recession, Aug 1957 to Apr 1958Recession, Apr 1960 to Feb 1961Recession, Dec 1969 to Nov 1970Recession, Nov 1973 to Mar 1975Recession, Jan 1980 to Jul 1980Recession, Jul 1981 to Nov 1982Recession, Jul 1990 to Mar 1991Recession, Mar 2001 to Nov 2001Recession, Dec 2007 to Jun 2009Recession, Feb 2020 to Apr 202040608010012019501960197019801990200020102020
1947 to 2026 · percent. Shaded bands are NBER recessions, peak to trough.
What it is

Credit to the general government sector as a share of GDP, the BIS's core debt measure: loans and debt securities at market value, consolidated. Shown for context; it has no threshold. Federal, state and local government together; the BIS measure was 111 % of GDP in early 2026.

Known weaknesses

The BIS core measure leaves out trade credit, pension liabilities and, for China, most local-government financing vehicles, so it sits below the IMF's broader figures.