Government debt

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A country's gross government debt (also called public debt or sovereign debt) is the financial liabilities of the government sector. Changes in government debt over time reflect primarily borrowing due to past government deficits. A deficit occurs when a government's expenditures exceed revenues. Government debt may be owed to domestic residents, as well as to foreign residents. If owed to foreign residents, that quantity is included in the country's external debt. In 2020, the value of government debt worldwide was US$87.4 trillion, or 99% measured as a share of gross domestic product (GDP). Government debt accounted for almost 40% of all debt (which includes corporate and household debt), the highest share since the 1960s. The rise in government debt since 2007 is largely attributable to stimulus measures during the Great Recession, and the COVID-19 recession. Governments may take on debt when the government's spending desires do not match government revenue flows. Taking debt can allow...

Read on Wikipedia · Image International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, CC BY 4.0