## A Historical Public Debt Database

_IMF Working Papers, November 1, 2010_

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [A Historical Public Debt Database](https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2016/12/31/a-historical-public-debt-database-24332)

## Other formats

- [Markdown version](/en/publications/wp/issues/2016/12/31/a-historical-public-debt-database-24332/index.md)
- [Structured JSON version](/en/publications/wp/issues/2016/12/31/a-historical-public-debt-database-24332/index.json)
- [Bundle manifest](/en/publications/wp/issues/2016/12/31/a-historical-public-debt-database-24332/bundle-manifest.json)

## Bibliographic details
- Authors: S. M. Ali Abbas, Nazim Belhocine, Asmaa A ElGanainy, Mark A Horton
- Published: November 1, 2010
- Series: IMF Working Papers
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781455209453.001

---

### Overview and purpose
- Describes the compilation of the first truly comprehensive database on gross government debt-to-GDP ratios.
- Covers nearly the entire IMF membership: 174 countries.
- Spans an exceptionally long time period.
- For the most recent years, the data are linked to the IMF World Economic Outlook (WEO) database to facilitate regular updates.
- Database constructed by bringing together a number of other datasets and information from original sources.

### Major findings and empirical patterns
- Discusses the evolution of debt-to-GDP ratios across country groups for several decades.
- Documents episodes of debt spikes and reversals.
- Identifies a pattern of negative correlation between debt and growth.

### Data construct and accessibility
- Database integrates multiple existing datasets and original-source information to produce a harmonized series of gross government debt-to-GDP ratios.
- Recent-year linkage to the IMF WEO database enables regular updates.
- Supplemental resources include: link to data for this title (ZIP) and a video on the Historical Public Debt Database.

### Relevance and topics covered
- Subject tags: Financial crises, Global financial crisis of 2008-2009, Oil prices, Prices, Public debt
- Keywords include: country, country size, debt, Debt Database, debt ratio, Debt-to-GDP, GDP, GDP data, Global, Gross Debt, Historical Debt, historical public debt database, HPDD Debt-to-GDP observation, HPDD shed, information, Oil prices, PPP GDP series, Public Debt, public debt debt ratio, WP

*IMF Working Paper: "A Historical Public Debt Database", November 1, 2010.*

---

## Content in this bundle

- **_wp10245**
  - [_wp10245 (Markdown version)](/-/media/websites/imf/imported-full-text-pdf/external/pubs/ft/wp/2010/_wp10245.pdf.md){rel="alternate" type="text/markdown"}
  - [_wp10245 (PDF)](/-/media/websites/imf/imported-full-text-pdf/external/pubs/ft/wp/2010/_wp10245.pdf){rel="external" type="application/pdf"}

---

_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2016/12/31/a-historical-public-debt-database-24332_