While the International Monetary Fund estimates that a growing share of the world's countries “have notable, if not high, levels of over-indebtedness”, here is a ranking of the 5 most indebted countries in the world.
This classification takes into account external debt, made up of public debt, but also private debt, which concerns companies established in the country.
France
A major milestone reached in 2023. France has officially accumulated, since June 30, 2023, nearly 3,300 billion dollars in external debt, which represents 112.5% of gross domestic product. This debt is mainly impacted by the country's public debt, to the tune of more than 3,000 billion dollars.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands is in fourth position in the world ranking of the most indebted countries. The Western European country had, as of December 2022, an external debt of 3,790 billion dollars, or approximately 381% of national GDP. This represents an amount of 215,569 dollars per inhabitant.
Japan
The most indebted Asian country in the world, Japan is the third most indebted country globally, with a debt of $4.34 trillion as of June 2023. Reported to each inhabitant, this debt, which represents 98 .4% of Japanese GDP, is only $34,832 per capita.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is the second most indebted country in the world and the European leader in this area, with private and public debt of $8.7 trillion. The British kingdom saw its public debt soar during 2023, exceeding 100% of GDP alone.
UNITED STATES
A record debt. With 32.9 trillion in foreign debt accumulated over the years, the United States is well at the top of the ranking of the most indebted countries in the world. The President of the American central bank, Jerome Powell, notably described the American public debt as “unsustainable”, while the question of insolvency arises across the Atlantic.
