Government debt % GDP in Papua New Guinea stood at 52.01% in 2024, according to World Bank. The latest value is down 0.37 percentage points from 52.38% in 2023. Ten years earlier, in 2014, the value was 26.89% (up 25.11 percentage points since). The highest value since 1990 was 69.73% in 2002, the lowest 26.89% in 2014. Papua New Guinea ranked 24th highest of the 40 countries in this dataset in 2023; Singapore ranked first.
Data source: World Bank · Unit: % · Category: Macroeconomics · Explore more indicators on EconDash
Government debt % GDP, measured in %, measures the government's fiscal obligations and borrowing levels in Papua New Guinea, serving as a critical indicator of fiscal sustainability, creditworthiness, and the capacity to finance public services and respond to crises. Government debt accumulates when spending exceeds revenues over time, requiring borrowing from domestic and international creditors through bond issuance. In Papua New Guinea, Government debt % GDP is typically expressed as a percentage of GDP to account for the economy's capacity to service the debt — a country with larger economic output can sustain higher debt levels than a smaller economy. Key considerations include debt composition (domestic vs foreign currency, short vs long-term), interest rates, and who holds the debt (domestic investors, foreign governments, central banks). Sustainable debt levels vary by country depending on institutional strength, growth prospects, and investor confidence, but ratios above 90-100% of GDP often raise concerns among credit rating agencies.
Government debt % GDP in Papua New Guinea stood at 52.01% in 2024, according to World Bank.
The latest value is down 0.37 percentage points from 52.38% in 2023. Ten years earlier, in 2014, the value was 26.89% (up 25.11 percentage points since).
Papua New Guinea ranked 24th highest of the 40 countries in this dataset in 2023; Singapore ranked first.
The highest value since 1990 was 69.73% in 2002, the lowest 26.89% in 2014.
| Indicator | Government debt % GDP |
|---|---|
| Country | Papua New Guinea |
| Category | Macroeconomics |
| Unit | % |
| Source | World Bank |
| Interactive chart | View on EconDash |
| API access | EconDash API documentation |
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World Bank. (2026). Government debt % GDP — Papua New Guinea [Data set]. Retrieved November 13, 2026, from EconDash: https://econdash.org/chart/government-debt-percent-gdp/PNG. Original source: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS
World Bank. "Government debt % GDP — Papua New Guinea." EconDash, 2026, https://econdash.org/chart/government-debt-percent-gdp/PNG. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026. Original source: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS.
World Bank. 2026. "Government debt % GDP — Papua New Guinea." EconDash. Accessed November 13, 2026. https://econdash.org/chart/government-debt-percent-gdp/PNG. Original source: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS.
@misc{econdash_government_debt_percent_gdp_png,
author = {{World Bank}},
title = {{Government debt \% GDP --- Papua New Guinea}},
howpublished = {EconDash},
year = {2026},
url = {https://econdash.org/chart/government-debt-percent-gdp/PNG},
note = {Accessed: 2026-11-13. Original source: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS}
}Browse indicators available for Papua New Guinea. Click any indicator to view its interactive chart, compare with other countries, and download historical data.
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