Some International sovereign debt data

Some international debt data

Aug.18, 2010

I have been busy working on my book and blogging less which will likely continue for the next few weeks but here is some excellent data on sovereign debt which appeared in an FT graphic recently. I have added to it the most recent rate of unemployment and rates of inflation for the country concerned and the whole table makes for very interesting reading in light of the deficit hysteria that broke out internationally around the time of the G20 meetings in Toronto.

The overall picture is clear. We are not anywhere near the crisis point in terms of indebtedness based on historical data and experience. The most heavily indebted country remains Japan where unemployment is just over 5 % but the public sector debt is 184 % of the GDP; US indebtedness although elevated is still well below 100 % of the GDP. The U.K is at 67 %; Canada at a mere 32 %; France at 62 %; Germany at 44 %; Spain at 53 %; Portugal at 81 %; Italy 116 % and Greece 126 % of the GDP. The debt data is drawn from the OECD , and reported in the FT The unemployment and inflation data is from eurostat and OECD, statistics Canada, and the U.S. bureau of Labour statistics.. All debt reported in billions of U.S. dollars.Unemployment rate latest available either June or July 2010 or Q1 2010 or Q2 2010



Country total Debt Debt to GDP ratio
central govt. debt marketable debt

U.S. cg $12,311.95 b. 86 % 51 %
md 7272.496

unemployment 9.7% July; CPI rate of inflation 2.0% ,all items except food and energy 0.9 %(*)


U.K. cg. 1472.3 67% 57%
md.1244.3

unemployment 7.7% April 2010;CPI inflation 3.4, * 2.9 %


Canada cg 427.4 32% 31%
md 416.7

unemployment rate 8.0% July; CPI 1.4, *0.9

Japan cg 9325.161 184% 148%
md 6479.108

unemployment rate 5.2% June 2010; CPI -0.9, *-1.4

France cg 1656.724 62% 60%
mg1600.53

unemployment rate 9.7 % Q1 2010; CPI 1.6, *0.6


Germany cg 1469.038 44% 42%
mg1418.867

unemployment rate 8.0%; CPI 1.2,* 0.7

Italy cg 2454.841 116% 95 %
md2016.184

unemployment rate 9.1 % Q1 2010; CPI 1.4, *1.4

Australia md 80.23 8%

unemployment rate 5.0% June 2010; CPI 2.9, * 2.7

Greece cg 416.199 126% 119%
md394.557

unemployment rate 12.0 % May 2010; CPI 5.4,* 4.0


Ireland cg 104.776 65% 46%

unemployment rate 12.9%; CPI -1.1,* -1.7

Portugal cg 185.75 81% 68%
md 156.161

unemployment rate 10.6 % Q1 2010;CPI 2.1,* 1.7

Spain cg 780.258 53% 455
md 657.401

unemployment rate 20.1 % Q2 2010.; CPI 1.8,* 0.1