External debt is a measure of nation’s foreign liabilities, capital plus interest that the government must eventually pay. A useful measure of a country’s debt position is by comparing gross external debt to GDP. By comparing a country’s debt to what it produces, this ratio can be used to help determine the likelihood that country as a whole will be able to repay its debts.
The debt situations of many of these countries have become so influential that countries like India also get affected. India’s April – June quarter GDP slipped to 18 month low to 7.7 %, the second consecutive quarter of sub 8 % growth. But India is somewhat in better place than its Asian peers. Positives for India includes the country’s low exports to GDP ratio, domestically financed fiscal deficit, limited exposure to foreign liabilities and a healthy banking system.
Country | External Debt (% of GDP) | Gross External Debt | 2010 GDP (Est) | External Debt/ Capita |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ireland | 1,382 % | $ 2.38 trillion | $ 172.3 billion | $ 5,66,756 |
UK | 413.3 % | $ 8.981 trillion | $ 2.173 trillion | $ 1,46,953 |
Switzerland | 401.9 % | $ 1.304 trillion | $ 324.5 billion | $ 1,71,528 |
Netherlands | 376.3 % | $ 2.55 trillion | $ 676.9 billion | $ 1,52,380 |
Belgium | 335.9 % | $ 1.324 trillion | $ 394.3 billion | $ 1,27,197 |
Denmark | 310.4 % | $ 626.1 billion | $ 201.7 billion | $ 1,13,826 |
Sweden | 282.2 % | $ 1.001 trillion | $ 354.7 billion | $ 1,10,479 |
Finland | 271.5 % | $ 505.06 billion | $ 186 billion | $ 96,197 |
Austria | 261.1 % | $ 867.14 billion | $ 332 billion | $ 1,05,616 |
Norway | 251 % | $ 640.7 billion | $ 255.3 billion | $ 1,37,476 |
Hong Kong | 250.4 % | $ 815.65 billion | $ 325.8 billion | $ 1,15,612 |
France | 250 % | $ 5.37 trillion | $ 2.15 trillion | $ 83,781 |
Portugal | 223.6 % | $ 552.23 billion | $ 247 billion | $ 51,572 |
Germany | 185.1 % | $ 5.44 trillion | $ 2.94 trillion | $ 51,572 |
Greece | 182.2 % | $ 579.7 billion | $ 318.1 billion | $ 53,984 |
Spain | 179.4 % | $ 2.46 trillion | $ 1.37 trillion | $ 60,614 |
Italy | 146.6 % | $ 2.602 trillion | $ 1.77 trillion | $ 44,760 |
Australia | 138.9 % | $ 1.23 trillion | $ 882,4 billion | $ 57,641 |
Hungary | 120.1 % | $ 225.24 billion | $ 187.6 billion | $ 22,739 |
United States | 101.1 % | $ 14.825 trillion | $ 14.66 trillion | $ 48,258 |