List of Gross External Debt by Country

External debt is the total public (government) and private debt owed to non-residents repayable in internationally accepted currencies, goods, or services. This is gross (total) external debt. It does not measure net debt.

External debt is different to measures of public (government) debt. See: List of national debt by country.

Some countries with very high levels of external debt, also have very high levels of external credit. For example, Ireland, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Singapore have high levels of assets – i.e. they hold the external debt of other countries. In fact, they are net international creditors because there assets are greater than their debt levels.

Countries with large banking systems tend to have higher levels of external debt because they correspondingly hold more international assets. The problem comes when the assets they hold fall in value.

However, some countries can have high external debt because of past borrowing requirements and high levels of government debt. For example, Greece has one of the highest levels of external debt 298% of GDP. This is largely due to the debt crisis of 2010 onwards where Greek debt became overwhelming and they required foreign borrowing.

External debt can be problematic for developing countries if interest payments on their external debt levels impact on a countries ability to invest and spend on current public services.

List of External Debt by Country

US dollars	% of GDP	US dollars	Date	Per capita	% of GDP
1	United States	3×10¹³ ($30 tn)	2022 est. [1]	60,526	102
2	United Kingdom	9.019×10¹² ($9 tn)	31 December 2017[2]	127,000	345
3	France	7.3239×10¹²	December 2020[3]	87,200	230
4	Germany	5.7358032×10¹²	31 March 2020[4]	69,000	165
5	Japan	4.7653479×10¹²	31 March 2020[5]	38,000	96
7	Italy	2.51069×10¹²	31 December 2017[7]	42,300	141
8	Spain	2.259127×10¹²	31 December 2017[8]	48,700	170
9	China	2.0946×10¹²	01-Mar-20	1,326	29
10	Canada	1.9319×10¹²	31 December 2017[9]	52,300	143
12	Australia	1.8335321×10¹²	31 September 2020[11]	71,906	130
11	Switzerland	1.820695×10¹²	31 December 2017[10]	213,100	285
13	Singapore	1.6692×10¹²	30 June 2021[12]	231,000	471
14	Belgium	1.278465×10¹²	30 June 2017[13]	112,000	269
15	Sweden	9.939396629×10¹¹	30 June 2017[14]	94,500	169
16	Austria	7.570553×10¹¹	31 December 2020[15]	84,061	165
17	Norway	6.044238×10¹¹	30 June 2017[16]	117,000	181
18	India	5.713×10¹¹	June 2021[17]	571.3	20.2
19	Brazil	5.56418×10¹¹	30 September 2017[18]	3,200	38
21	Denmark	4.91617×10¹¹	30 June 2017[20]	85,700	158
20	Russia	4.892×10¹¹	1 September 2021[19]	3,700	32
22	Finland	4.83369×10¹¹	30 June 2017[21]	87,500	223
24	Turkey	4.534×10¹¹	30 September 2019 [23]	2,983	63
25	Portugal	4.47022×10¹¹	30 June 2017[24]	43,300	203
23	Greece	4.4158×10¹¹	31 December 2017[22]	42,800	298
26	Mexico	4.37367×10¹¹	31 December 2017[25]	3,300	43
6	Netherlands	4.3691×10¹¹	October 2021[6]	26,540	52
27	Indonesia	4.15082×10¹¹	30 June 2021[26]	1,530	37
28	South Korea	4.07341×10¹¹	30 June 2017[27]	7,500	33
29	Poland	3.63658×10¹¹	30 June 2017[28]	9,500	60
35	Argentina	2.72852×10¹¹	31 September 2020[33]	6,037	72
30	Malaysia	2.278445×10¹¹	31 March 2018[29]	6,800	68
31	Ireland	2.276×10¹¹	31 December 2017[30]	49,000	701
32	United Arab Emirates	2.204×10¹¹	31 December 2016 est.[31]	23,500	59
34	Saudi Arabia	2.009×10¹¹	31 December 2016 est.[32]	6,100	31
36	Mauritius	1.9971×10¹¹	30 June 2018[34]	148,000	2,007
37	Taiwan	1.99051×10¹¹	30 June 2018[35]	7,400	28
38	New Zealand	1.919437×10¹¹	31 March 2020[36]	38,400	90
39	Chile	1.86697×10¹¹	31 March 2019[37]	9,771	82
40	Puerto Rico (USA)	1.674×10¹¹	31 January 2015 est.	47,800	164
41	Kazakhstan	1.65501×10¹¹	31 March 2017[38]	9,100	91
42	Qatar	1.592×10¹¹	31 December 2016 est.[39]	68,100	83
43	Thailand	1.4942955×10¹¹	31 December 2017[40]	2,170	33
44	Hungary	1.48024×10¹¹	30 June 2017[41]	15,000	160
45	South Africa	1.42833×10¹¹	31 December 2016[42]	2,600	57
46	Czechia	1.37606×10¹¹	31 December 2016[43]	13,000	76
59	Egypt	1.291957×10¹¹	31 October 2020 [56]	700	34
49	Ukraine	1.25281×10¹¹	30 June 2021[46]	2,200	81
54	Pakistan	1.2221×10¹¹	30 September 2021[51]	554	43
47	Colombia	1.210972×10¹¹	31 January 2017[44]	2,500	57
48	Cyprus	1.19672×10¹¹	30 June 2017[45]	97,200	849
51	Venezuela	1.10878×10¹¹	30 September 2015[48]	3,500	23
52	Romania	1.0888×10¹¹	31 July 2017[49]	5,100	58
53	Malta	9.62513×10¹⁰	30 June 2017[50]	223,000	691
50	Israel	8.94384×10¹⁰	30 June 2017[47]	10,700	33
55	Slovakia	8.663×10¹⁰	30 June 2017[52]	15,900	112
56	Peru	7.46512×10¹⁰	31 December 2016[53]	2,300	44
57	Philippines	7.2493×10¹⁰	30 June 2017[54]	720	27
58	Iraq	6.801×10¹⁰	31 December 2016 est.[55]	1,800	44
60	Slovenia	5.19808×10¹⁰	30 April 2020[57]	25,000	104
61	Vietnam	5.09377×10¹⁰	31 December 2015[58]	500	26
62	Morocco	4.88303×10¹⁰	30 June 2017[59]	1,400	46
63	Kuwait	4.789×10¹⁰	31 December 2016 est.[60]	11,700	51
64	Sri Lanka	4.65857×10¹⁰	31 December 2016[61]	2,200	68
65	Croatia	4.60847×10¹⁰	30 June 2017[62]	10,700	89
66	Sudan	4.5×10¹⁰	31 December 2015[63]	1,100	121
67	Latvia	4.1147×10¹⁰	30 June 2017[64]	21,200	126
68	Bulgaria	4.0419×10¹⁰	31 January 2018[65]	5,700	63
69	Belarus	3.8975×10¹⁰	30 June 2017[66]	4,000	66
70	Angola	3.77×10¹⁰	31 December 2016 est.[67]	1,400	41
71	Ecuador	3.67472×10¹⁰	31 August 2017[68]	2,100	57
72	Lithuania	3.64277×10¹⁰	30 June 2017[69]	12,700	74
73	Serbia	2.7954×10¹⁰	30 June 2017[70]	3,200	62
74	Lebanon	2.7796×10¹⁰	31 December 2016[71]	4,600	63
75	Jordan	2.77564×10¹⁰	30 June 2017[72]	3,400	83
76	Cuba	2.632×10¹⁰	31 December 2016 est.[73]	2,300	34
77	Uruguay	2.61492×10¹⁰	31 December 2016[74]	7,600	50
78	Dominican Republic	2.605×10¹⁰	31 December 2016 est.[75]	2,400	36
79	Bangladesh	2.5963×10¹⁰	30 June 2016[76]	160	12
80	Mongolia	2.5215×10¹⁰	30 June 2017[77]	7,800	245
81	Tunisia	2.51247×10¹⁰	31 December 2012[78]	2,200	97
82	Costa Rica	2.491×10¹⁰	31 December 2016 est.[79]	5,100	43
83	Iceland	2.43906×10¹⁰	30 June 2017[80]	72,700	81
84	Ethiopia	2.249×10¹⁰	31 December 2016 est.[81]	220	32
85	Kenya	2.21719×10¹⁰	30 June 2017[82]	370	26
86	Papua New Guinea	2.204×10¹⁰	31 December 2016 est.[83]	2,800	111
87	Trinidad & Tobago	2.15321×10¹⁰	31 December 2016[84]	15,700	76
88	Ghana	2.117×10¹⁰	31 December 2016 est.[85]	700	30
89	Bahrain	2.116×10¹⁰	31 December 2016 est.[86]	14,900	66
90	Oman	2.085×10¹⁰	31 December 2016 est.[87]	4,400	35
91	Estonia	2.05251×10¹⁰	31 December 2016[88]	15,700	89
92	Guatemala	1.909×10¹⁰	31 December 2016 est.[89]	1,100	28
93	Palau	1.838×10¹⁰	31 December 2014 est.[90]	846,000	6,209
94	Panama	1.8341×10¹⁰	28 February 2018[91]	4,400	157
95	Bahamas	1.756×10¹⁰	31 December 2013 est.[92]	44,200	194
96	Jamaica	1.676×10¹⁰	31 December 2016 est.[93]	6,000	122
97	Monaco	1.65×10¹⁰	30 June 2010 est.	434,000	240
98	Georgia	1.64165×10¹⁰	30 June 2017[94]	3,900	128
99	Paraguay	1.61224×10¹⁰	31 December 2016[95]	2,400	54
100	Tanzania	1.589×10¹⁰	31 December 2016 est.[96]	280	34
101	Uzbekistan	1.575×10¹⁰	31 December 2016 est.[97]	500	24
102	Nigeria	1.5047×10¹⁰	30 June 2017[98]	60	2
103	El Salvador	1.49×10¹⁰	31 December 2016 est.[99]	2,400	56
104	Laos	1.198×10¹⁰	31 December 2016 est.[100]	1,700	53
105	Nicaragua	1.11×10¹⁰	31 December 2016 est.[101]	1,800	83
106	Zimbabwe	1.09×10¹⁰	31 December 2016 est.[102]	670	77
107	Luxembourg	1.061778×10¹⁰	31 March 2020 [103]	114,704	22.1
113	Albania	1.0461×10¹⁰	31 December 2020[109]	3,634	66
109	Ivory Coast	1.00281×10¹⁰	31 December 2015[105]	420	24
110	Cambodia	9.8244×10⁹	31 December 2016[106]	600	57
111	Mozambique	9.554×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[107]	320	72
112	Zambia	9.27×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[108]	540	45
114	Honduras	8.042×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[110]	1,000	38
115	Kyrgyzstan	7.8668×10⁹	31 December 2016[111]	1,300	112
116	North Macedonia	7.6455×10⁹	31 December 2016[112]	3,700	73
117	Cameroon	7.375×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[113]	300	24
118	Yemen	7.1915×10⁹	31 January 2015[114]	260	21
119	Iran	7.116×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[115]	90	2
120	Azerbaijan	6.9132×10⁹	31 December 2016[114]	1,300	22
121	Moldova	6.5947×10⁹	31 December 2016[116]	1,600	70
122	Namibia	6.515×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[117]	2,500	64
123	Myanmar	6.4012×10⁹	31 December 2015[118]	120	17
124	Bolivia	6.3408×10⁹	31 December 2015[95]	600	33
125	Uganda	6.241×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[119]	150	24
126	Senegal	6.186×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[120]	390	42
108	Armenia	6.0531×10⁹	31 December 2020[104]	2,043	102
127	Syria	5.918×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[107]	300	24
128	Democratic Republic of the Congo	5.331×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[121]	70	13
129	Gabon	5.158×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[122]	2,900	35
130	North Korea	5×10⁹	2013 est.[123]	200	18
131	Republic of the Congo	4.817×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[124]	1,000	55
132	Bosnia and Herzegovina	4.7166×10⁹	30 June 2017[125]	1,300	23
133	Barbados	4.49×10⁹	2010 est.[126]	15,700	100
143	Montenegro	4.408×10⁹	26 March 2021[136]	6,742	151
134	Madagascar	4.007×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[127]	160	41
139	Algeria	3.838×10⁹	31 December 2019[132]	89	2
135	Mali	3.626×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[128]	200	26
136	Mauritania	3.585×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[129]	840	76
137	Libya	3.531×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[130]	550	9
138	Nepal	3.4502×10⁹	31 July 2015[131]	120	16
140	Burkina Faso	3.092×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[133]	160	26
141	Somalia	3.054×10⁹	31 December 2013 est.[134]	270	52
142	Niger	2.729×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[135]	130	36
144	Seychelles	2.552×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[137]	26,200	180
145	Rwanda	2.442×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[138]	200	29
146	Bermuda (UK)	2.435×10⁹	2015 est.[139]	39,700	47
147	Kosovo	2.3897×10⁹	30 June 2017[140]	1,200	37
148	Benin	2.34×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[141]	200	26
149	Tajikistan	2.2741×10⁹	31 December 2016[142]	260	38
150	Bhutan	2.261×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[143]	2,900	108
151	Haiti	2.022×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[144]	180	24
152	Malawi	1.921×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[145]	100	39
153	Chad	1.875×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[146]	130	18
154	Botswana	1.6854×10⁹	31 March 2017[147]	720	8
155	Palestine	1.662×10⁹	31 March 2016 est.[148]	340	35
156	Cape Verde	1.66×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[149]	3,100	99
157	Sierra Leone	1.561×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[150]	230	36
158	Equatorial Guinea	1.364×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[151]	1,500	12
159	Djibouti	1.339×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[152]	1,500	71
160	Guinea	1.332×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[138]	100	20
161	Belize	1.327×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[151]	3,500	75
162	Afghanistan	1.28×10⁹	FY-2010/11[153]	40	7
163	Suriname	1.235×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[154]	2,200	30
164	Togo	1.173×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[155]	150	26
165	Guyana	1.143×10⁹	31 December 2015[156]	1,500	36
166	Liberia	1.111×10⁹	31 December 2016 est.[157]	230	51
167	Guinea-Bissau	1.095×10⁹	31 December 2010 est.[158]	570	94
168	Lesotho	948,800,000	31 December 2016 est.[159]	430	53
169	Faroe Islands (Denmark)	888,800,000	2010[160]	18,400	38
170	Fiji	833,400,000	31 December 2016 est.[161]	900	18
171	Eritrea	820,200,000	31 December 2016 est.[162]	150	15
172	Maldives	741,600,000	2014 est.[163]	2,000	23
173	Burundi	705,200,000	31 December 2016 est.[164]	60	26
174	Aruba	693,200,000	31 December 2014 est.[165]	6,600	28
175	Central African Republic	686,900,000	31 December 2016 est.[166]	130	39
176	Grenada	679,000,000	2013 est.[167]	6,300	66
177	Gambia	541,800,000	31 December 2016 est.[168]	260	61
178	Saint Lucia	513,200,000	31 December 2016 est.[169]	2,700	36
179	Turkmenistan	502,800,000	31 December 2016 est.[170]	90	1
180	Solomon Islands	491,500,000	31 December 2013 est.[171]	800	40
181	Eswatini	470,500,000	31 December 2016 est.[172]	360	14
182	Samoa	447,200,000	31 December 2013 est.[173]	2,300	51
183	Antigua and Barbuda	441,200,000	31 December 2012[174]	4,700	34
184	San Marino	352,000,000	2016[175]	10,604	23
185	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	321,100,000	31 December 2016 est.[176]	2,900	42
186	Timor-Leste	311,500,000	31 December 2014 est.[177]	250	12
187	Dominica	288,600,000	31 December 2016 est.[178]	3,900	55
188	Cook Islands (New Zealand)	281,200,000	31 December 2011[179]	13,400	23
189	Sao Tome and Principe	236,500,000	31 December 2016 est.[180]	1,200	67
190	Tonga	233,100,000	31 December 2016 est.[181]	2,200	54
191	Vanuatu	208,100,000	31 December 2016 est.[182]	750	27
192	Saint Kitts and Nevis	187,500,000	31 December 2016 est.[183]	3,300	20
193	Comoros	133,300,000	31 December 2016 est.[184]	160	21
194	New Caledonia (France)	112,000,000	31 December 2013 est.[185]	420	1
195	Marshall Islands	97,960,000	2013 est.[186]	1,800	52
196	Micronesia	93,600,000	2013 est.[187]	900	29
197	Cayman Islands (UK)	79,000,000	1998 est.	2,100	7
198	Greenland (Denmark)	36,400,000	2010[188]	650	2
199	Nauru	33,300,000	2004 est.[189]	3,200	22
200	British Virgin Islands (UK)	17,670,000	31 December 2016[190]	570	2

Source Wikipedia

External debt as % of GDP

	Country/Region	% of GDP
1	Cyprus	849
2	Ireland	701
3	Malta	691
4	Singapore	471
5	United Kingdom	345
6	Greece	298
7	Switzerland	285
8	Belgium	269
9	Mongolia	245
10	France	230
11	Finland	223
12	Portugal	203
13	Bahamas	194
14	Norway	181
15	Seychelles	180
16	Spain	170
17	Sweden	169
18	Germany	165
19	Austria	165
20	Puerto Rico (USA)	164
21	Hungary	160
22	Denmark	158
23	Panama	157
24	Montenegro	151
25	Canada	143
26	Italy	141
27	Australia	130
28	Georgia	128
29	Latvia	126
30	Jamaica	122
31	Sudan	121
32	Slovakia	112
33	Kyrgyzstan	112
34	Papua New Guinea	111
35	Bhutan	108
36	Slovenia	104
37	United States	102
38	Armenia	102
39	Barbados	100
40	Cape Verde	99
41	Tunisia	97
42	Japan	96
43	Guinea-Bissau	94
44	Kazakhstan	91
45	New Zealand	90
46	Croatia	89
47	Estonia	89
48	Qatar	83
49	Jordan	83
50	Nicaragua	83