Kazakhstan continues to maintain a low level of public debt, amounting to 24.8% of the country’s GDP, ranking it 25th globally. This figure is well below the global average and reflects a relatively low debt burden, according to an analysis by Finprom.kz based on International Monetary Fund (IMF) data.
By comparison, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have higher public debt levels, at 31.1% and 37.8% of GDP, respectively. Russia (22%) and Tajikistan (23.1%) have slightly lower debt levels. Turkmenistan ranks among the top five countries globally with the lowest public debt, at just 3.9% of GDP.
The IMF projects global public debt will rise to 94.7% of GDP in 2025, an increase of 2.3% year-on-year.
Japan remains the country with the highest debt-to-GDP ratio at 229.6%. Other countries with high debt levels include Greece (146.7%), Bahrain (142.5%), Italy (136.8%), the Maldives (131.8%), the United States (125%), Senegal (122.9%), France (116.5%), and China (96.3%).
Global public debt is expected to reach $111 trillion in 2025. The U.S. and China account for more than half of this total, with $38.3 trillion and $18.7 trillion in public debt, respectively.
In absolute terms, Kazakhstan has the highest gross public debt among Central Asian countries, at $74.4 billion. It is followed by Uzbekistan ($42.8 billion), Kyrgyzstan ($7.6 billion), Tajikistan ($3.7 billion), and Turkmenistan ($2.8 billion).
