New Delhi- The world is being burdened by debt, but interestingly, countries that we often associate with economic crises, such as Sri Lanka and Pakistan, are nowhere in the list of the top seven most indebted countries. Instead, the list includes large, developed countries whose economies are considered the strongest in the world.
The largest debtor is not a weak country, but the world’s largest economy, the United States of America. The World Economic Outlook (October 2025) reports that world government debt will reach $110.9 trillion (approximately $110,955.6 billion) in 2025. The United States, China and Japan are the countries with the highest debt burdens.
Japan’s debt is more than twice the GDP
According to statistics, the US alone has the largest share (34.5%) of world government debt. China is second, almost half the gap, while Japan is third, but Japan has the highest debt-to-GDP ratio, reaching 229.6%. India is also on the list, accounting for 3% of global debt. However, India’s debt-to-GDP ratio is lower than many developed countries.
Who owes how much? (Share of Global Government Debt)
America – 34.5 percent
China – 16.8 percent
Japan – 8.9 percent
UK— 3.7 percent
France – 3.5 percent
Italy — 3.1 percent
India— 3.0 percent
It shows that more than half of the world’s total government debt is held by just three countries – the US, China and Japan.
What is the weight of debt to GDP?
Japan— 229.6 percent
Italy— 136.8 percent
America — 125 percent
France — 116.5 percent
UK— 103.4 percent
China — 96.3 percent
India – 81.4 percent
Japan’s debt is twice its GDP, one of the world’s largest burdens. India’s position is considered better than many other countries.