Gross debt, General government, Percent of fiscal year GDP in Canada
Canada: Gross debt, General government, Percent of fiscal year GDP was 91.5 in 2015. ▲ Rising
Latest (2015)
91.5
Change on year
up 6.1%
World rank
20th
of 188 countries
All-time high
155.47
in 1945
All-time low
18.45
in 1912
Years of data
146
1870–2015
Gross debt, General government, Percent of fiscal year GDP in Canada, 1870–2015
Source: International Monetary Fund.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gross debt, general government, percent of fiscal year gdp in Canada is 91.5, measured in 2015.
The figure is up 6.1% on the previous year and up 29.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross debt, general government, percent of fiscal year gdp in Canada peaked at 155.47 in 1945 and was at its lowest, 18.45, in 1912.
Canada ranks 20th of 188 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 146 years of available data.
Gross debt, General government, Percent of fiscal year GDP in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 29.01 | — |
| 1871 | 28.11 | -3.1% |
| 1872 | 27.72 | -1.4% |
| 1873 | 27.47 | -0.9% |
| 1874 | 29.45 | +7.2% |
| 1875 | 33.81 | +14.8% |
| 1876 | 39.36 | +16.4% |
| 1877 | 37.96 | -3.6% |
| 1878 | 41.02 | +8.1% |
| 1879 | 40.89 | -0.3% |
| 1880 | 38.59 | -5.6% |
| 1881 | 33.41 | -13.4% |
| 1882 | 30.21 | -9.6% |
| 1883 | 36.96 | +22.3% |
| 1884 | 42.04 | +13.7% |
| 1885 | 45.45 | +8.1% |
| 1886 | 44.77 | -1.5% |
| 1887 | 42.55 | -5.0% |
| 1888 | 41.57 | -2.3% |
| 1889 | 39.34 | -5.4% |
| 1890 | 37.93 | -3.6% |
| 1891 | 37.24 | -1.8% |
| 1892 | 37.56 | +0.8% |
| 1893 | 39.27 | +4.6% |
| 1894 | 42.37 | +7.9% |
| 1895 | 44.36 | +4.7% |
| 1896 | 44.16 | -0.5% |
| 1897 | 40.03 | -9.4% |
| 1898 | 37.56 | -6.2% |
| 1899 | 34.87 | -7.2% |
| 1900 | 32.18 | -7.7% |
| 1901 | 29.98 | -6.8% |
| 1902 | 25.19 | -16.0% |
| 1903 | 24.7 | -1.9% |
| 1904 | 24.47 | -0.9% |
| 1905 | 22.7 | -7.2% |
| 1906 | 19.4 | -14.5% |
| 1907 | 18.75 | -3.4% |
| 1908 | 22.86 | +21.9% |
| 1909 | 21 | -8.1% |
| 1910 | 19.23 | -8.4% |
| 1911 | 20.73 | +7.8% |
| 1912 | 18.45 | -11.0% |
| 1913 | 20.74 | +12.5% |
| 1914 | 30.63 | +47.7% |
| 1915 | 36.23 | +18.3% |
| 1916 | 43.48 | +20.0% |
| 1917 | 46.87 | +7.8% |
| 1918 | 61.9 | +32.1% |
| 1919 | 68.19 | +10.2% |
| 1920 | 58.39 | -14.4% |
| 1921 | 74.08 | +26.9% |
| 1922 | 75.56 | +2.0% |
| 1923 | 70.66 | -6.5% |
| 1924 | 72.46 | +2.5% |
| 1925 | 64.86 | -10.5% |
| 1926 | 62.9 | -3.0% |
| 1927 | 57.78 | -8.1% |
| 1928 | 53.17 | -8.0% |
| 1929 | 53.2 | +0.1% |
| 1930 | 60.79 | +14.3% |
| 1931 | 79.61 | +31.0% |
| 1932 | 102.31 | +28.5% |
| 1933 | 117.87 | +15.2% |
| 1934 | 108.29 | -8.1% |
| 1935 | 105.16 | -2.9% |
| 1936 | 98.42 | -6.4% |
| 1937 | 87.94 | -10.7% |
| 1938 | 90.84 | +3.3% |
| 1939 | 90.98 | +0.2% |
| 1940 | 91 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 91.58 | +0.6% |
| 1942 | 93.74 | +2.3% |
| 1943 | 113.6 | +21.2% |
| 1944 | 131.71 | +15.9% |
| 1945 | 155.47 | +18.0% |
| 1946 | 153.78 | -1.1% |
| 1947 | 131.61 | -14.4% |
| 1948 | 112.97 | -14.2% |
| 1949 | 103.31 | -8.5% |
| 1950 | 87.65 | -15.2% |
| 1951 | 76.43 | -12.8% |
| 1952 | 69.97 | -8.5% |
| 1953 | 67.11 | -4.1% |
| 1954 | 68.2 | +1.6% |
| 1955 | 66.38 | -2.7% |
| 1956 | 58.34 | -12.1% |
| 1957 | 57.57 | -1.3% |
| 1958 | 63.02 | +9.5% |
| 1959 | 64.1 | +1.7% |
| 1960 | 64.8 | +1.1% |
| 1961 | 67.28 | +3.8% |
| 1962 | 66.56 | -1.1% |
| 1963 | 65.3 | -1.9% |
| 1964 | 61.95 | -5.1% |
| 1965 | 58.24 | -6.0% |
| 1966 | 57.01 | -2.1% |
| 1967 | 56.96 | -0.1% |
| 1968 | 56.26 | -1.2% |
| 1969 | 54.36 | -3.4% |
| 1970 | 56.68 | +4.3% |
| 1971 | 57.83 | +2.0% |
| 1972 | 56.62 | -2.1% |
| 1973 | 52.27 | -7.7% |
| 1974 | 49.45 | -5.4% |
| 1975 | 49.82 | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 42.79 | -14.1% |
| 1977 | 44.25 | +3.4% |
| 1978 | 47.06 | +6.4% |
| 1979 | 45.06 | -4.3% |
| 1980 | 45.41 | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 46.56 | +2.5% |
| 1982 | 52.26 | +12.2% |
| 1983 | 57.84 | +10.7% |
| 1984 | 60.87 | +5.2% |
| 1985 | 65.88 | +8.2% |
| 1986 | 70.1 | +6.4% |
| 1987 | 70.55 | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 70.52 | -0.0% |
| 1989 | 71.76 | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 74.53 | +3.9% |
| 1991 | 81.54 | +9.4% |
| 1992 | 89.18 | +9.4% |
| 1993 | 95.04 | +6.6% |
| 1994 | 97.78 | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 100.4 | +2.7% |
| 1996 | 100.57 | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 95.59 | -5.0% |
| 1998 | 93.61 | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 89.27 | -4.6% |
| 2000 | 80.71 | -9.6% |
| 2001 | 81.75 | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 79.89 | -2.3% |
| 2003 | 76.18 | -4.6% |
| 2004 | 72.14 | -5.3% |
| 2005 | 70.87 | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 70.13 | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 66.84 | -4.7% |
| 2008 | 67.83 | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 79.28 | +16.9% |
| 2010 | 81.1 | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 81.51 | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 84.84 | +4.1% |
| 2013 | 86.08 | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 86.2 | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 91.5 | +6.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 33.48 | 27.47 | 41.02 | 10 |
| 1880s | 39.49 | 30.21 | 45.45 | 10 |
| 1890s | 39.54 | 34.87 | 44.36 | 10 |
| 1900s | 24.12 | 18.75 | 32.18 | 10 |
| 1910s | 36.65 | 18.45 | 68.19 | 10 |
| 1920s | 64.31 | 53.17 | 75.56 | 10 |
| 1930s | 94.22 | 60.79 | 117.87 | 10 |
| 1940s | 117.88 | 91 | 155.47 | 10 |
| 1950s | 67.88 | 57.57 | 87.65 | 10 |
| 1960s | 60.87 | 54.36 | 67.28 | 10 |
| 1970s | 50.18 | 42.79 | 57.83 | 10 |
| 1980s | 61.17 | 45.41 | 71.76 | 10 |
| 1990s | 91.75 | 74.53 | 100.57 | 10 |
| 2000s | 74.56 | 66.84 | 81.75 | 10 |
| 2010s | 85.21 | 81.1 | 91.5 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More external debt data for Canada
- Other investment, Debt instruments 1.30 trillion US dollar (2025)
- Other investment, Debt instruments (Assets, Positions, US dollar) 8.44 % change on previous year (2025)
- Other investment, Debt instruments, Deposit taking corporations 988.42 billion US dollar (2025)
- Other investment, Debt instruments (Assets, Positions, US dollar) 31,206 US dollar per person (2025)
- Other investment, Debt instruments (Assets, Positions, US dollar) 0.5603 US dollar per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Liabilities, International Liquidity, Liabilities to Nonresidents 0 (2008)
- Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-), General government, Percent of -1.46 (2030)
- Other investment, Debt instruments, Deposit taking corporations 7.87 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary net lending (+) / net borrowing (-), General government -0.879 (2030)
- Other investment, Debt instruments, Deposit taking corporations 23,731 US dollar per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gross debt, general government, percent of fiscal year gdp in Canada?
- Gross debt, general government, percent of fiscal year gdp in Canada was 91.5 in 2015, according to International Monetary Fund.
- What is the highest gross debt, general government, percent of fiscal year gdp recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 155.47 in 1945.
- What is the lowest gross debt, general government, percent of fiscal year gdp recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.45 in 1912.
- How does Canada rank for gross debt, general government, percent of fiscal year gdp?
- Canada ranks 20th out of 188 countries with data for 2015.
- Is gross debt, general government, percent of fiscal year gdp rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund, published as part of Gross debt, General government, Percent of fiscal year GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The Historical Public Debt Database contains unbalanced panel data on Gross Domestic Product, Gross Government Debt, and Debt to GDP Ratio for 187 countries. The series spans the years 1800 through 2015 although each country’s data depends on its date of independence and data availability.