Sudan has recorded the world’s highest government debt-to-GDP ratio, with public liabilities estimated at 334.4% of its economic output in 2026, according to figures from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The figures, published in the IMF’s October 2026 World Economic Outlook database and reported by Tunisian news outlet Bab Net on Wednesday, underscore the severity of Sudan’s financial crisis as the country struggles with the economic consequences of more than three years of war.
The ratio means Sudan’s estimated public debt is equivalent to more than three times the country’s annual gross domestic product (GDP), placing it at the top of global rankings when government borrowing is measured against economic output.
However, the ranking does not mean Sudan has the world’s largest debt in absolute monetary terms. Instead, it reflects the scale of government liabilities relative to the country’s severely weakened economy.
Sudan’s financial difficulties have intensified amid the conflict that erupted in April 2023, which has devastated infrastructure, disrupted production and trade, displaced millions of people and placed enormous pressure on public finances.
The mounting debt burden threatens to further restrict the government’s ability to finance essential services, rebuild damaged infrastructure and respond to the country’s worsening humanitarian emergency.
The findings come as the IMF warns of an increasingly dangerous global debt outlook.
Earlier this month, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva warned that worldwide public debt was approaching levels not seen since the Second World War, with the global debt-to-GDP ratio expected to exceed 100% before 2030.
Rising borrowing costs and mounting repayment obligations are also limiting governments’ ability to respond to economic shocks, particularly in countries already affected by conflict and financial instability.
Sudan had previously qualified for international debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative in June 2021, with the IMF and World Bank outlining a programme intended to substantially reduce its external debt obligations.
The latest figures highlight the scale of the financial challenges confronting Sudan and the difficulties it could face in securing a sustainable economic recovery.
The international ranking reportedly excluded Venezuela and Lebanon because sufficiently reliable and updated IMF debt data were unavailable for both countries in 2026.
