🇨🇳 China National Debt Clock
Live tracker for China government debt. The national debt currently stands at
approximately $21.93 trillion, growing at $99K per second based on IMF fiscal deficit projections. Debt-to-GDP: 99%. Per-citizen share: $15,644.
Narrow general-government basis. The IMF augmented measure, which adds local government financing vehicle (LGFV) and other off-budget debt, is materially higher.
Among the 135 governments tracked here, China ranks 20th by debt-to-GDP, 2nd by total debt and 41st by debt per person.
China's Debt Trajectory (2015–2025)
China's ratio has risen past its peak of 91% (2024) to roughly 99% at end-2025.
About China's National Debt
China's headline general-government ratio understates its true public liabilities. Beyond central and local budgets, provinces and cities have borrowed heavily through local government financing vehicles (LGFVs) and off-budget funds; the IMF's broader 'augmented' measure that captures these is far higher than the narrow figure shown here. Much of that borrowing financed infrastructure and property, and defusing this hidden debt is now one of Beijing's central economic challenges.
China's debt-to-GDP ratio of 99% is high: higher than 85% of the 135 governments tracked here. No ratio is safe or dangerous on its own — whether a debt is sustainable depends on the interest rate on it, how fast the economy grows, the currency it is owed in and who holds it. By total government debt, China ranks 2nd of the 135 governments tracked here.
At the current borrowing rate of $99K per second, China adds about $8.6 billion to its government debt every day — roughly $3132.4 billion per year. Each of China's 1402 million residents carries an individual share of approximately $15,644. That is above the world average of roughly $14,600 in government debt per person.
Figures are computed by Global Debt Clock by linear extrapolation from each country's baseline figure, named in the source line on this page (for most countries, the IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026). Actual debt changes through discrete bond issuances — these counters illustrate the approximate scale and pace of sovereign borrowing.
China National Debt — Frequently Asked Questions
What is China's national debt right now?
China's national debt is approximately $21.93 trillion as of October 28, 2026, growing at $99K per second. Its debt-to-GDP ratio is 99% and each citizen's share is about $15,644.
How fast is China's debt growing?
China's government debt is growing at approximately $99K per second — about $8.6 billion per day — derived from the IMF's projections for 2026.
What is China's debt per capita?
Each of China's 1402 million residents carries a notional share of approximately $15,644 of the national debt.
What is China's debt-to-GDP ratio?
China's debt-to-GDP ratio is 99%. That is higher than 85% of the 135 governments tracked here.
Why is China's government debt at this level?
China's headline general-government ratio understates its true public liabilities. Beyond central and local budgets, provinces and cities have borrowed heavily through local government financing vehicles (LGFVs) and off-budget funds; the IMF's broader 'augmented' measure that captures these is far higher than the narrow figure shown here. Much of that borrowing financed infrastructure and property, and defusing this hidden debt is now one of Beijing's central economic challenges.
Compare China vs another country
Live side-by-side debt comparisons — shareable cards for journalists and social.
Further reading
Other Asia-Pacific countries
Put this counter on your site
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Data & Citation
Source: IMF WEO October 2026 (GGXWDG, end-2025 stock) — narrow general-government basis · baseline anchored .
Methodology: debt = 19,353,117,053,022 + 99328 × seconds_since(2026-01-01)
Machine-readable data: /api/debt?c=cn (live JSON) · /data/debt.json (full dataset)
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