China vs India: Total debt service
China
2.1%
in 2023
India
2.3%
in 2023
China rank
89th
India rank
87th
Total debt service over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 2.3% against 2.1% in China, a difference of 0.2%.
That makes India's figure about 1.1 times China's.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 43 shared years of data; in 1981 it was China ahead.
China ranks 89th and India ranks 87th of 119 countries.
India has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.1% | 1.5% | 0.4% | India |
| 1990s | 2.0% | 2.9% | 0.8% | India |
| 2000s | 1.4% | 2.6% | 1.2% | India |
| 2010s | 1.2% | 2.3% | 1.2% | India |
| 2020s | 2.0% | 2.2% | 0.2% | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total debt service, China or India?
- India, at 2.3% against 2.1% in China as of 2023.
- What is the difference in total debt service between China and India?
- 0.2%, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 43 years are reported by both, from 1981 to 2023.
- How do China and India rank globally for total debt service?
- China ranks 89th and India ranks 87th of 119 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Total debt service (% of GNI). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release