List of countries by external debt

Countries by external debt (2006)

The list of countries by external debt gives an overview of the countries with the highest external debt .

Countries by external debt

Absolutely

As of December 31, 2016, global external debt was $ 75.15 trillion (2009 = $ 61.95 trillion). The debt level of the European Union was $ 13.050 trillion (2015 = $ 14.140 trillion). The US external debt was $ 17.910 trillion (2015 = $ 17.850 trillion).

It shows the total of all liabilities that the government, non-financial and financial sectors of an economy have vis-à-vis other countries. Non-financial sectors are households, private organizations, non-financial corporations (KG) and public authorities. Financial sectors are all stock exchanges , financial markets , banks ( central banks and commercial banks ), insurance companies, financial intermediaries in general and investment companies .

In countries like Ireland or Luxembourg , a large part of the liabilities belong to resident foreign financial and non-financial corporations, as these countries are considered tax havens .

The data in the following table are based on calculations by the World Bank (2003–2010) or on data from the World Fact Book of the CIA (2013–2016). The list contains the countries with the highest external debt.

Foreign debt in millions of US dollars
Rank (2016)	country	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2013	2014	2015	2016
1.	United States	6,946,289	8,353,479	9,476,403	11,204,108	13,427,103	13,749,570	13,767,867	14,456,194	16,490,000	17,260,000	17,850,000	17,910,000
2.	United Kingdom	5,406,413	6,729,484	7,385,985	9,239,287	11,260,597	9.106.737	9,337,345	9,554,857	9,411,000	9,219,000	8,642,000	8,126,000
3.	France	2,300,666	2,851,560	3,052,297	3,817,630	4,841,930	4,862,662	5,167,460	5,091,260	5,549,000	5,496,000	5,250,000	5,360,000
4th	Germany	3,326,742	3,775,700	3,578,198	4,219,206	5,117,734	5,124,187	5,124,906	5,217,014	5,998,000	5,597,000	5,210,000	5,326,000
5.	Netherlands	1,405,449	1,671,049	1,669,067	2,097,648	2,599,752	2,421,889	2,413,790	2,433,884	4,524,000	4,154,000	4,054,000	4,063,000
6th	Luxembourg	914.680	1,070,429	1,254,127	1,633,490	2,026,680	2,170,932	2,201,694	1,915,942	3,525,000	3,331,000	3,806,000	3,781,000
7th	Japan	1,354,398	1,557,069	1,521,073	1,512,871	1,767,807	2,344,683	2,086,400	2,588,607	2,756,000	2,843,000	2,830,000	3,240,000
8th.	Ireland	734.333	1,052,149	1,336,187	1,763,130	2,267,387	2,355,639	2,384,730	2,303,419	2,078,000	1,960,000	2,350,000	2,470,000
9.	Italy	1,452,122	1,647,918	1,675,759	2,108,044	2,549,297	2,395,317	2,551,151	2,435,220	2,635,000	2,459,000	2,300,000	2,444,000
10.	Spain	979.794	1,235,322	1.350.105	1,804,654	2,301,967	2,326,273	2,539,421	2,316,691	2,380,000	2,064,000	1,963,000	2,094,000
11.	Switzerland	807.631	906.949	886.947	1,041,639	1,452,517	1,230,334	1,252,839	1,287,359	1,601,000	1,533,000	1,663,000	1,664,000
12.	Canada	579.614	605,532	633.907	696.612	831.729	839,608	997.474	1,106,998	1,395,000	1,491,000	1,550,000	1,608,000
13.	Australia	419.006	506.062	532,343	639.634	820.413	799.838	1,035,746	1,167,884	1,374,000	1,381,000	1,423,000	1,547,000
14th	People's Republic of China	208,431	247,679	283,986	325.260	373.773	378.245	428,442	548.938	874,500	949,600	1,187,000	1,467,000
15th	Belgium	777.777	961.460	984.755	1,155,691	1,535,057	1,595,147	1,436,925	1,292,068	1,285,000	1,312,000	1,214,000	1,281,000
16.	Sweden	400,681	497.716	581,539	624.187	795.879	948,684	902.954	945.086	1,107,000	1,010,000	929,400	939,900
17th	Austria	408,806	492.980	510.795	646.036	801,400	832.753	831601	797.790	812,000	820,000	679,300	689.100
18th	Norway	237.248	282,528	275,782	408,880	540.258	568,670	546.453	583,684	730.100	661.200	640.100	642,300
19th	Finland	185,709	227,518	218.723	264.020	316.256	346.073	406,367	441,369	571,800	547,500	524,700	544,700
20th	Brazil	235.005	219.786	187,526	193.458	237,605	262.931	277,563	351.941	482,800	712,500	623,900	551,300
21st	Greece	204,577	253.287	262,954	329,782	454.200	504.612	587,562	546,607	575,400	514,400	468.200	506,600
22nd	Hong Kong	372.708	430.121	454.594	516,382	711.057	663.373	668.484	803.416	1,161,000	1,290,000	867,300	505,900
23.	Denmark	297.079	351.858	358.288	450.127	568,648	585,522	605.573	596.199	609,800	534,600	519,800	484,800
24.	India	117,872	122,587	120.224	158.493	202.793	229.271	252,398	295,891	427,400	459.100	444,400	456,400
25th	Mexico	170,847	171,162	167.942	162,497	192.689	200,393	200.213	250,956	397,300	424.100	430,800	450,200
26th	Portugal	270.454	310,627	302.220	381.453	483.916	484.710	549.149	528.597	531600	493,700	447,000	449,000
27.	Russia	185.741	214.503	257.402	313.176	463.915	480,541	467.245	489.043	728,900	599,000	532,500	434,800
28.	Turkey	143.940	160,977	169.908	207,842	249,573	277.125	268,457	289,387	389.200	402,400	394.200	404.900
29	South Korea	141,650	150.625	161,413	225,200	333.428	317,370	345.391	359.985	424,400	409.100	386,000	358.200
30th	Poland	107.274	129,989	132,926	169,636	234.052	245.496	280.187	264,574	382.100	354.200	339,700	347,800
31.	Indonesia	133,434	137.124	134.353	125,348	133.917	155.067	172.871	200,050	266.100	293.200	285,300	316,500
32.	United Arab Emirates	20,710	25,900	34,470	39,100	61,680	126,900	122,500	122,700	167,100	171,900	172,300	218,700
33.	Malaysia	48,557	52,156	51,981	55.026	61,566	75.292	76,376	82.171	212,300	213,900	190,600	195,300
34.	Argentina	160.278	162,379	124,939	115,863	117,317	128.112	116,415	128,600	143,700	147,000	165,300	190,200
35.	Saudi Arabia	39,160	34,350	36,780	47,390	58,600	75,360	72,770	82,920	155,700	166,100	177,600	189,300
36.	Taiwan	53,440	55,500	87,050	93,060	97,850	93,090	75,300	91,410	170,100	177,900	165,300	172,200
37.	Kazakhstan	22,884	32,713	43,429	74,014	96.914	108.130	113.239	119.242	149,900	157,100	155,400	163,800
38.	Chile	42,790	43,774	45,446	48.052	56,443	64,768	72.991	86,738	132,600	145,700	152,500	158,100
39.	Qatar	17,500	18,620	21,130	25,700	33,090	55,790	70,370	71,380	149,200	156,800	143,200	157,900
40.	South Africa	37,138	43,334	46.157	59,396	75,275	71,811	78,561	99.005	137,100	145,100	143,200	144,600
41.	Czech Republic	34,893	45.241	46,453	57,180	76.043	83,088	89,245	95,396	137,400	125,100	132,500	138,000
42.	Hungary	58,067	81,552	84,925	132.246	176.903	222,999	238.067	209,540	202,400	182,200	155,400	131,300
43.	Thailand	51,783	51,312	52.040	59,643	61,738	65,225	75,307	100,561	141,900	140,700	129,650	130,600
44.	Ukraine	23,811	30,647	39,619	54,512	79.955	101,659	103.396	117,346	142,100	127,500	127,800	121,100
45.	Colombia	36,998	37,911	37,720	38.024	43,675	46,392	53,719	64,723	91,980	101,300	103,400	115,000
46.	Romania	22,627	29,574	38,861	54,432	85,422	100,247	118,582	122.994	135,200	114,500	90,320	93.710
47.	Cyprus	7,439	12,613	14,686	24,395	28,257	26,456	119,522	103,585	103,500	95,280	91,270	88,650
48.	Israel	74,059	78,423	78.151	87,418	90.116	86,948	92.109	106.018	95,370	96.160	93,420	87,960
49.	Slovakia	18,090	23,764	27.053	32.206	44,309	52,527	65,854	66,439	82,370	82,290	77,750	74,190
50.	Iceland	16,095	26,553	46.141	74,910	119.216	68,612	121,135	119,435	107,500	97,870	54,390	25,020
Rank (2016)	country	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2013	2014	2015	2016

Per capita debt

More meaningful than the absolute foreign debt, which depends on the size and economic strength of the countries, are indicators that relate debt to export revenues, gross national income or the total population.

Foreign debt (2016)
rank	country	absolute in USD million	per person in USD
1.	Luxembourg *	3,781,000	6,363,927
2.	Monaco *	18,000	588.505
3.	Ireland *	2,470,000	492.905
4th	Netherlands *	4,063,000	237.815
5.	Malta *	90,980	218,372
6th	Switzerland *	1,664,000	202.032
7th	United Kingdom	8,126,000	125,460
8th.	Norway	642,300	120,732
9.	Belgium	1,281,000	111,446
10.	Finland	544,700	98,707
11.	Sweden	939,900	94,362
12.	Denmark	484,800	86,480
13.	France	5,360,000	79,873
14th	Austria	689.100	78,717
15th	Iceland	25,020	73,643
16.	Cyprus	88,650	72,572
17th	Hong Kong	505,900	70,347
18th	Australia	1,547,000	66,588
19th	Qatar	157,900	68,228
20th	Germany	5,326,000	66,084
21st	United States	17,910,000	54,833
22nd	Bahamas	17,560	53,214
23.	Greece	506,600	47,044
24.	Canada	1,608,000	45.139
25th	Spain	2,094,000	42,771
26th	Portugal	449,000	41,442
27.	Italy	2,444,000	39,331
28.	Slovenia	75.040	38,050
29	Japan	3,240,000	25,622
30th	United Arab Emirates	218,700	22,973
31.	Latvia	40,020	20,580
32.	New Zealand	88,080	19,529
33.	Kuwait	48,910	16,745
34.	Estonia	19,050	15,221
35.	Slovakia	74,190	13,623
36.	Hungary	131,300	13,329
37.	Czech Republic	138,000	12,928
38.	Lithuania	34,480	12,210
39.	Israel	87,960	10,598
40.	Poland	347,800	9,039
41.	Kazakhstan	159,200	8,579
42.	Taiwan	172,200	7,325
43.	South Korea	358.200	7,000
44.	Saudi Arabia	189,300	6,625
45.	Malaysia	195,300	6.223
46.	Turkey	404.900	5,008
47.	Romania	93.710	4,353
48.	Argentina	190,200	4,294
49.	Mexico	450,200	3,614
50.	Russia	434,800	3,056
51.	Brazil	551,300	2,659
52.	South Africa	144,600	2,637
53.	Thailand	130,600	1,909
54.	Indonesia	316,500	1,215
55.	People's Republic of China	1,467,000	1,064
56.	India	456,400	356
57.	Iran	10,560	129
rank	country	absolute in USD million	per person in USD

See also

• List of countries by national debt ratio
• List of countries by household debt
• List of countries by state budget
• List of countries by gross domestic product
• List of countries by gross domestic product per capita
• Foreign assets
• World trade / tables and graphs

Web links

• CIA World Factbook: Debt - external
• IndexMundi: Historical Data
• United Nations: Statistical Database

Individual evidence

1. ↑ World Bank: SDDS Country Data
2. ↑ World Bank: GDDS CountryData
3. ↑ World Bank (2003-2010): External debt stocks
4. ^ ^{A b} CIA world factbook: Debt External
5. ^ World Bank: Quarterly External Debt Statistics
6. ↑ population. Retrieved April 9, 2018 .