Quarterly government debt

Data - Eurostat

Author

François Geerolf

Info

source dataset .html .RData
eurostat gov_10q_ggdebt 2025-08-27 2025-08-24

LAST_COMPILE

LAST_COMPILE
2025-08-26

Last

Code 
gov_10q_ggdebt %>%
  group_by(time) %>%
  summarise(Nobs = n()) %>%
  arrange(desc(time)) %>%
  head(1) %>%
  print_table_conditional()
time Nobs
2025Q1 7317

unit

Code 
gov_10q_ggdebt %>%
  left_join(unit, by = "unit") %>%
  group_by(unit, Unit) %>%
  summarise(Nobs = n()) %>%
  arrange(-Nobs) %>%
  {if (is_html_output()) print_table(.) else .}
unit Unit Nobs
MIO_NAC Million units of national currency 198674
MIO_EUR Million euro 197709
PC_GDP Percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) 195703
PC_TOT Percentage of total 161940

sector

Code 
gov_10q_ggdebt %>%
  left_join(sector, by = "sector") %>%
  group_by(sector, Sector) %>%
  summarise(Nobs = n()) %>%
  arrange(-Nobs) %>%
  {if (is_html_output()) print_table(.) else .}
sector Sector Nobs
S1312 State government 159078
S13 General government 158255
S1314 Social security funds 142852
S1313 Local government 139664
S1311 Central government 139568
S13111 Budgetary central government 7104
S13112 Central government other than budgetary central government 6540
S11001 Public non-financial corporations 965

na_item

Code 
gov_10q_ggdebt %>%
  left_join(na_item, by = "na_item") %>%
  group_by(na_item, Na_item) %>%
  summarise(Nobs = n()) %>%
  arrange(-Nobs) %>%
  {if (is_html_output()) datatable(., filter = 'top', rownames = F) else .}

geo

Code 
gov_10q_ggdebt %>%
  left_join(geo, by = "geo") %>%
  group_by(geo, Geo) %>%
  summarise(Nobs = n()) %>%
  arrange(-Nobs) %>%
  mutate(Flag = gsub(" ", "-", str_to_lower(Geo)),
         Flag = paste0('<img src="../../bib/flags/vsmall/', Flag, '.png" alt="Flag">')) %>%
  select(Flag, everything()) %>%
  {if (is_html_output()) datatable(., filter = 'top', rownames = F, escape = F) else .}

time

Code 
gov_10q_ggdebt %>%
  group_by(time) %>%
  summarise(Nobs = n()) %>%
  arrange(desc(time)) %>%
  print_table_conditional()

EA-19, Deficit

Code 
gov_10q_ggdebt %>%
  filter(time %in% c("2022Q3", "2015Q1"),
         sector == "S13",
         unit == "PC_GDP",
         na_item == "GD") %>%
  select(geo, time, values) %>%
  spread(time, values) %>%
  left_join(geo, by = "geo") %>%
  mutate(Flag = gsub(" ", "-", str_to_lower(Geo)),
         Flag = paste0('<img src="../../bib/flags/vsmall/', Flag, '.png" alt="Flag">')) %>%
  select(Flag, Geo, geo, everything()) %>%
  arrange(-`2022Q3`) %>%
  {if (is_html_output()) datatable(., filter = 'top', rownames = F, escape = F) else .}

Last

Debt

Code 
gov_10q_ggdebt %>%
  filter(sector == "S13",
         unit == "PC_GDP",
         na_item == "GD") %>%
  group_by(geo) %>%
  filter(time == max(time)) %>%
  left_join(geo, by = "geo") %>%
  select_if(~ n_distinct(.) > 1) %>%
  arrange(values) %>%
  select(geo, Geo, everything()) %>%
  print_table_conditional()

Italy, Portugal, Greece, France, Europe

Gross Debt

2005-

Code 
gov_10q_ggdebt %>%
  filter(sector == "S13",
         unit == "PC_GDP",
         na_item == "GD",
         geo %in% c("IT", "PT", "EL", "FR", "EA19")) %>%
  left_join(geo, by = "geo") %>%
  quarter_to_date() %>%
  mutate(values = values / 100,
         Geo = ifelse(geo == "EA19", "Europe", Geo)) %>%
  left_join(colors, by = c("Geo" = "country")) %>%
  filter(date >= as.Date("2005-01-01")) %>%
  ggplot(.) + theme_minimal() + xlab("") + ylab("Public debt (years of GDP)") +
  geom_line(aes(x = date, y = values, color = color)) +
  scale_color_identity() + add_5flags +
  theme(legend.position = c(0.2, 0.85),
        legend.title = element_blank()) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = 0.01*seq(0, 260, 20),
                     labels = scales::dollar_format(acc = .1, pre = "", su = " y")) +
  scale_x_date(breaks = as.Date(paste0(seq(1990, 2025, 2), "-01-01")),
               labels = date_format("%Y"))

Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Germany, France

All

English

Code 
gov_10q_ggdebt %>%
  filter(sector == "S13",
         unit == "PC_GDP",
         na_item == "GD",
         geo %in% c("NL", "LU", "DK", "SE", "FR", "DE")) %>%
  left_join(geo, by = "geo") %>%
  quarter_to_date() %>%
  left_join(colors, by = c("Geo" = "country")) %>%
  mutate(values = values / 100) %>%
  ggplot(.) + theme_minimal() + xlab("") + ylab("Public debt (years of GDP)") +
  geom_line(aes(x = date, y = values, color = color)) +
  scale_color_identity() + add_6flags +
  theme(legend.position = c(0.2, 0.85),
        legend.title = element_blank()) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = 0.01*seq(0, 260, 10),
                     labels = scales::dollar_format(acc = .1, pre = "", su = " year")) +
  scale_x_date(breaks = as.Date(paste0(seq(1700, 2050, 2), "-01-01")),
               labels = date_format("%Y"))

French

Code 
gov_10q_ggdebt %>%
  filter(sector == "S13",
         unit == "PC_GDP",
         na_item == "GD",
         geo %in% c("NL", "LU", "DK", "SE", "FR", "DE")) %>%
  left_join(geo, by = "geo") %>%
  quarter_to_date() %>%
  left_join(colors, by = c("Geo" = "country")) %>%
  mutate(values = values / 100) %>%
  ggplot(.) + theme_minimal() + xlab("") + ylab("Dette publique (années de PIB)") +
  geom_line(aes(x = date, y = values, color = color)) +
  scale_color_identity() + add_6flags +
  theme(legend.position = c(0.2, 0.85),
        legend.title = element_blank()) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = 0.01*seq(0, 260, 10),
                     labels = scales::dollar_format(acc = .1, pre = "", su = " année")) +
  scale_x_date(breaks = as.Date(paste0(seq(1700, 2050, 2), "-01-01")),
               labels = date_format("%Y"))

2000-

Code 
gov_10q_ggdebt %>%
  filter(sector == "S13",
         unit == "PC_GDP",
         na_item == "GD",
         geo %in% c("NL", "LU", "DK", "SE", "FR", "DE")) %>%
  left_join(geo, by = "geo") %>%
  quarter_to_date() %>%
  left_join(colors, by = c("Geo" = "country")) %>%
  mutate(values = values / 100) %>%
  filter(date >= as.Date("2000-01-01")) %>%
  ggplot(.) + theme_minimal() + xlab("") + ylab("Public debt (years of GDP)") +
  geom_line(aes(x = date, y = values, color = color)) +
  scale_color_identity() + add_6flags +
  theme(legend.position = c(0.2, 0.85),
        legend.title = element_blank()) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = 0.01*seq(0, 260, 10),
                     labels = scales::dollar_format(acc = .1, pre = "", su = " year")) +
  scale_x_date(breaks = as.Date(paste0(seq(1700, 2050, 2), "-01-01")),
               labels = date_format("%Y"))

France, Germany

All

English

Code 
gov_10q_ggdebt %>%
  filter(sector == "S13",
         unit == "PC_GDP",
         na_item == "GD",
         geo %in% c("FR", "DE")) %>%
  left_join(geo, by = "geo") %>%
  quarter_to_date() %>%
  left_join(colors, by = c("Geo" = "country")) %>%
  mutate(values = values / 100) %>%
  ggplot(.) + theme_minimal() + xlab("") + ylab("Public debt (years of GDP)") +
  geom_line(aes(x = date, y = values, color = color)) +
  scale_color_identity() + add_2flags +
  theme(legend.position = c(0.2, 0.85),
        legend.title = element_blank()) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = 0.01*seq(0, 260, 10),
                     labels = scales::dollar_format(acc = .1, pre = "", su = " y")) +
  scale_x_date(breaks = as.Date(paste0(seq(1700, 2050, 2), "-01-01")),
               labels = date_format("%Y"))

French

Code 
gov_10q_ggdebt %>%
  filter(sector == "S13",
         unit == "PC_GDP",
         na_item == "GD",
         geo %in% c("FR", "DE")) %>%
  left_join(geo, by = "geo") %>%
  quarter_to_date() %>%
  left_join(colors, by = c("Geo" = "country")) %>%
  mutate(values = values / 100) %>%
  ggplot(.) + theme_minimal() + xlab("") + ylab("Dette publique (années de PIB)") +
  geom_line(aes(x = date, y = values, color = color)) +
  scale_color_identity() + add_2flags +
  theme(legend.position = c(0.2, 0.85),
        legend.title = element_blank()) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = 0.01*seq(0, 260, 10),
                     labels = scales::dollar_format(acc = .1, pre = "", su = " année")) +
  scale_x_date(breaks = as.Date(paste0(seq(1700, 2050, 2), "-01-01")),
               labels = date_format("%Y"))

France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands

All

Code 
gov_10q_ggdebt %>%
  filter(sector == "S13",
         unit == "PC_GDP",
         na_item == "GD",
         geo %in% c("FR", "DE", "IT", "ES", "NL")) %>%
  left_join(geo, by = "geo") %>%
  quarter_to_date() %>%
  left_join(colors, by = c("Geo" = "country")) %>%
  mutate(values = values / 100) %>%
  ggplot(.) + theme_minimal() + xlab("") + ylab("Public debt (years of GDP)") +
  geom_line(aes(x = date, y = values, color = color)) +
  scale_color_identity() + add_5flags +
  theme(legend.position = c(0.2, 0.85),
        legend.title = element_blank()) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = 0.01*seq(0, 260, 20),
                     labels = scales::dollar_format(acc = .1, pre = "", su = " y")) +
  scale_x_date(breaks = as.Date(paste0(seq(1700, 2050, 2), "-01-01")),
               labels = date_format("%Y"))

Italy, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Belgium, France

All

English

Code 
gov_10q_ggdebt %>%
  filter(sector == "S13",
         unit == "PC_GDP",
         na_item == "GD",
         geo %in% c("IT", "PT", "ES", "EL", "BE", "FR")) %>%
  left_join(geo, by = "geo") %>%
  quarter_to_date() %>%
  left_join(colors, by = c("Geo" = "country")) %>%
  mutate(values = values / 100) %>%
  ggplot(.) + theme_minimal() + xlab("") + ylab("Public debt (years of GDP)") +
  geom_line(aes(x = date, y = values, color = color)) +
  scale_color_identity() + add_6flags +
  theme(legend.position = c(0.2, 0.85),
        legend.title = element_blank()) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = 0.01*seq(0, 260, 20),
                     labels = scales::dollar_format(acc = .1, pre = "", su = " y")) +
  scale_x_date(breaks = as.Date(paste0(seq(1700, 2050, 2), "-01-01")),
               labels = date_format("%Y"))

French

Code 
gov_10q_ggdebt %>%
  filter(sector == "S13",
         unit == "PC_GDP",
         na_item == "GD",
         geo %in% c("IT", "PT", "ES", "EL", "BE", "FR")) %>%
  left_join(geo, by = "geo") %>%
  quarter_to_date() %>%
  left_join(colors, by = c("Geo" = "country")) %>%
  mutate(values = values / 100) %>%
  ggplot(.) + theme_minimal() + xlab("") + ylab("Dette publique") +
  geom_line(aes(x = date, y = values, color = color)) +
  scale_color_identity() + add_6flags +
  theme(legend.position = c(0.2, 0.85),
        legend.title = element_blank()) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = 0.01*seq(0, 260, 20),
                     labels = scales::dollar_format(acc = .1, pre = "", su = " année")) +
  scale_x_date(breaks = as.Date(paste0(seq(1700, 2050, 2), "-01-01")),
               labels = date_format("%Y"))

2000-

Code 
gov_10q_ggdebt %>%
  filter(sector == "S13",
         unit == "PC_GDP",
         na_item == "GD",
         geo %in% c("IT", "PT", "ES", "EL", "BE", "FR")) %>%
  left_join(geo, by = "geo") %>%
  quarter_to_date() %>%
  filter(date >= as.Date("2000-01-01")) %>%
  left_join(colors, by = c("Geo" = "country")) %>%
  mutate(values = values / 100) %>%
  ggplot(.) + theme_minimal() + xlab("") + ylab("Public debt (years of GDP)") +
  geom_line(aes(x = date, y = values, color = color)) +
  scale_color_identity() + add_6flags +
  theme(legend.position = c(0.2, 0.85),
        legend.title = element_blank()) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = 0.01*seq(0, 260, 10),
                     labels = scales::dollar_format(acc = .1, pre = "", su = " y")) +
  scale_x_date(breaks = as.Date(paste0(seq(1700, 2050, 2), "-01-01")),
               labels = date_format("%Y"))

2005

Years of GDP

Code 
gov_10q_ggdebt %>%
  filter(sector == "S13",
         unit == "PC_GDP",
         na_item == "GD",
         geo %in% c("IT", "PT", "ES", "EL", "BE", "FR", "EA19")) %>%
  left_join(geo, by = "geo") %>%
  quarter_to_date() %>%
  mutate(values = values / 100,
         Geo = ifelse(geo == "EA19", "Europe", Geo)) %>%
  left_join(colors, by = c("Geo" = "country")) %>%
  filter(date >= as.Date("2005-01-01")) %>%
  ggplot(.) + theme_minimal() + xlab("") + ylab("Public debt (years of GDP)") +
  geom_line(aes(x = date, y = values, color = color)) +
  scale_color_identity() + add_7flags +
  theme(legend.position = c(0.2, 0.85),
        legend.title = element_blank()) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = 0.01*seq(0, 260, 20),
                     labels = scales::dollar_format(acc = .1, pre = "", su = " y")) +
  scale_x_date(breaks = as.Date(paste0(seq(1990, 2025, 2), "-01-01")),
               labels = date_format("%Y"))

2015

Years of GDP

Code 
gov_10q_ggdebt %>%
  filter(sector == "S13",
         unit == "PC_GDP",
         na_item == "GD",
         geo %in% c("IT", "PT", "NL", "ES", "FR", "EA19")) %>%
  left_join(geo, by = "geo") %>%
  quarter_to_date() %>%
  mutate(values = values / 100,
         Geo = ifelse(geo == "EA19", "Europe", Geo)) %>%
  left_join(colors, by = c("Geo" = "country")) %>%
  filter(date >= as.Date("2015-01-01")) %>%
  ggplot(.) + theme_minimal() + xlab("") + ylab("Public debt (years of GDP)") +
  geom_line(aes(x = date, y = values, color = color)) +
  scale_color_identity() + add_6flags +
  theme(legend.position = c(0.2, 0.85),
        legend.title = element_blank()) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = 0.01*seq(0, 260, 20),
                     labels = scales::dollar_format(acc = .1, pre = "", su = " y")) +
  scale_x_date(breaks = as.Date(paste0(seq(2015, 2025, 1), "-01-01")),
               labels = date_format("%Y"))

% of GDP…

Code 
gov_10q_ggdebt %>%
  filter(sector == "S13",
         unit == "PC_GDP",
         na_item == "GD",
         geo %in% c("IT", "PT", "ES", "EL", "BE", "FR", "EA19")) %>%
  left_join(geo, by = "geo") %>%
  quarter_to_date() %>%
  mutate(values = values / 100,
         Geo = ifelse(geo == "EA19", "Europe", Geo)) %>%
  left_join(colors, by = c("Geo" = "country")) %>%
  filter(date >= as.Date("2015-01-01")) %>%
  ggplot(.) + theme_minimal() + xlab("") + ylab("Public debt (% of GDP)") +
  geom_line(aes(x = date, y = values, color = color)) +
  scale_color_identity() + add_7flags +
  theme(legend.position = c(0.2, 0.85),
        legend.title = element_blank()) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = 0.01*seq(0, 260, 20),
                     labels = scales::percent_format()) +
  scale_x_date(breaks = as.Date(paste0(seq(2015, 2025, 1), "-01-01")),
               labels = date_format("%Y"))

2019

Years of GDP

Code 
gov_10q_ggdebt %>%
  filter(sector == "S13",
         unit == "PC_GDP",
         na_item == "GD",
         geo %in% c("IT", "PT", "NL", "ES", "FR", "EA19")) %>%
  left_join(geo, by = "geo") %>%
  quarter_to_date() %>%
  mutate(values = values / 100,
         Geo = ifelse(geo == "EA19", "Europe", Geo)) %>%
  left_join(colors, by = c("Geo" = "country")) %>%
  filter(date >= as.Date("2019-01-01")) %>%
  ggplot(.) + theme_minimal() + xlab("") + ylab("Public debt (years of GDP)") +
  geom_line(aes(x = date, y = values, color = color)) +
  scale_color_identity() + add_6flags +
  theme(legend.position = c(0.2, 0.85),
        legend.title = element_blank(),
        axis.text.x = element_text(angle = 45, vjust = 1, hjust = 1)) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = 0.01*seq(0, 260, 20),
                     labels = scales::dollar_format(acc = .1, pre = "", su = " y")) +
  scale_x_date(breaks = "3 months",
               labels = date_format("%b %Y"))

% of GDP…

Code 
gov_10q_ggdebt %>%
  filter(sector == "S13",
         unit == "PC_GDP",
         na_item == "GD",
         geo %in% c("IT", "PT", "ES", "EL", "FR", "EA19")) %>%
  left_join(geo, by = "geo") %>%
  quarter_to_date() %>%
  mutate(values = values / 100,
         Geo = ifelse(geo == "EA19", "Europe", Geo)) %>%
  left_join(colors, by = c("Geo" = "country")) %>%
  filter(date >= as.Date("2019-01-01")) %>%
  ggplot(.) + theme_minimal() + xlab("") + ylab("Public debt (% of GDP)") +
  geom_line(aes(x = date, y = values, color = color)) +
  scale_color_identity() + add_6flags +
  theme(legend.position = c(0.2, 0.85),
        legend.title = element_blank(),
        axis.text.x = element_text(angle = 45, vjust = 1, hjust = 1)) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = 0.01*seq(0, 260, 20),
                     labels = scales::percent_format()) +
  scale_x_date(breaks = "3 months",
               labels = date_format("%b %Y"))