The World's Biggest Debtor Nations

Source: External Debt information from The World Bank, GDP information from the CIA World Factbook. Throughout the financial crisis, many national economies have looked to their government and foreign lenders for financial support, which translates to increased spending, borrowing and in most cases, growing national debt.Deficit spending, government debt and private sector borrowing are the norm in most western countries, but due in part to the financial crisis, some nations and economies are in considerably worse debt positions than others.External debt is a measure of a nation's foreign liabilities, capital plus interest that the government and institutions within a nation's borders must eventually pay. This number not only includes government debt, but also debt owed by corporations and individuals to entities outside their home country.So, how does the US debt position compare to that of other countries? A useful measure of a country's debt position is by comparing gross external debt to GDP. By comparing a country's debt to what it produces, this ratio can be used to determine the likelihood that a country will be able to repay its debt. This report takes a look at the world's 75 largest economies to see which ones have the highest external debt to GDP ratio, calculated using the most recent numbers from the World Bank. We've listed the top twenty here. Who are the world's biggest debtor nations? The rankings may surprise you!By Paul ToscanoUpdated 28 Oct 2009Countries Overloaded By Debt

Photo: AP External debt (as % of GDP): 94.3%External debt per capita: $43,793Gross external debt: $13.454 trillion (2009 Q2)2008 GDP (est): $14.26 trillion

Photo: Stuart Westmorland | Photodisc | Getty Images External debt (as % of GDP): 105.7%External debt per capita: $20,990Gross external debt: $207.92 billion (2009 Q1)2008 GDP (est): $196.6 billion

Photo: Image Source | Getty Images External debt (as % of GDP): 111.3%External debt per capita: $41,916Gross external debt: $891.26 billion (2009 Q2)2008 GDP (est): $800.2 billion

Photo: Guy Vanderelst | Photographer’s Choice | Getty Images External debt (as % of GDP): 126.7%External debt per capita: $39,741Gross external debt: $2.310 trillion (2009 Q1)2008 GDP (est): $ 1.823 trillion

Photo: Jorg Greuel | The Image Bank | Getty Images External debt (as % of GDP): 161.1%External debt per capita: $51,483Gross external debt: $552.8 billion (2009 Q2)2008 GDP (est): $343 billion

Photo: Jill Damico External debt (as % of GDP): 171.7%External debt per capita: $59,457Gross external debt: $2.409 trillion (2009 Q2)2008 GDP (est): $1.403 trillion

Photo: Robert Debowski External debt (as % of GDP): 178.5%External debt per capita: $63,263Gross external debt: $5.208 trillion (2009 Q2)2008 GDP (est): $2.918 trillion

Photo: Lyn Gateley External debt (as % of GDP): 188.5%External debt per capita: $69,491Gross external debt: $364.85 billion (2009 Q2)2008 GDP (est): $193.5 billion

Photo: Stefan Lins External debt (as % of GDP): 194.3%External debt per capita: $73,854Gross external debt: $669.1 billion (2009 Q2)2008 GDP (est): $344.3 billion

Photo: Alex Steffier External debt (as % of GDP): 199%External debt per capita: $117,604Gross external debt: $548.1 billion (2009 Q2)2008 GDP (est): $275.4 billion

Photo: TW Angel External debt (as % of GDP): 205.8%External debt per capita: $89,457Gross external debt: $631.13 billion (2009 Q2)2008 GDP (est): $306.6 billion

Photo: Davis McCardle | The Image Bank | Getty Images External debt (as % of GDP): 214.4%External debt per capita: $47,348Gross external debt: $507 billion (2009 Q2)2008 GDP (est): $236.5 billion

Photo: Al Ianni External debt (as % of GDP): 236%External debt per capita: $78,387Gross external debt: $5.021 trillion (2009 Q2)2008 GDP (est): $2.128 trillion

Photo: AP External debt (as % of GDP): 252.6%External debt per capita: $101,387Gross external debt: $832.42 billion (2009 Q2)2008 GDP (est): $329.5 billion

Photo: Jimg944 External debt (as % of GDP): 298.3%External debt per capita: $110,422Gross external debt: $607.38 billion (2009 Q2)2008 GDP (est): $203.6 billion

Photo: Eddie Van External debt (as % of GDP): 320.2%External debt per capita: $119,681Gross external debt: $1.246 trillion (2009 Q1)2008 GDP (est): $389 billion

Photo: BK59 External debt (as % of GDP): 365%External debt per capita: $146,703Gross external debt: $2.452 trillion (2009 Q2)2008 GDP (est): $672 billion

Photo: AP External debt (as % of GDP): 408.3%External debt per capita: $148,702Gross external debt: $9.087 trillion (2009 Q2)2008 GDP (est): $2.226 trillion

Photo: AP External debt (as % of GDP): 422.7%External debt per capita: $176,045Gross external debt: $1.338 trillion (2009 Q2)2008 GDP (est): $316.7 billion

Photo: William Murphy External debt (as % of GDP): 1,267%External debt per capita: $567,805Gross external debt: $2.386 trillion (2009 Q2)2008 GDP (est): $188.4 billion

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