Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP) in Iran
Iran: Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP) was 0.5% in 2009. ◆ Volatile
Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in Iran, 1972–2009
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Iran recorded 0.5% for net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in 2009.
That represents a change of down 80.3% on the previous year and up 304.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in Iran peaked at 6.4% in 2007 and was at its lowest, -13.9%, in 1980.
That places Iran 32nd out of 156 countries with data for 2009, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP) in Iran, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | -4.3% | — |
| 1973 | -0.8% | -81.9% |
| 1974 | 4.5% | -681.6% |
| 1975 | 0.3% | -92.4% |
| 1976 | -0.8% | -330.4% |
| 1977 | -4.6% | +488.9% |
| 1978 | -10.0% | +116.7% |
| 1979 | -5.1% | -49.2% |
| 1980 | -13.9% | +173.3% |
| 1981 | -11.1% | -20.1% |
| 1982 | -5.8% | -47.5% |
| 1983 | -6.3% | +8.7% |
| 1984 | -4.1% | -35.4% |
| 1985 | -3.9% | -4.0% |
| 1986 | -8.9% | +126.5% |
| 1987 | -7.5% | -15.6% |
| 1988 | -9.3% | +24.8% |
| 1989 | -4.0% | -57.0% |
| 1990 | -1.8% | -56.0% |
| 1991 | -2.2% | +22.9% |
| 1992 | -1.3% | -37.8% |
| 1993 | -0.5% | -62.0% |
| 1994 | -0.2% | -54.3% |
| 1995 | 1.0% | -543.3% |
| 1996 | 0.8% | -26.9% |
| 1997 | -0.4% | -156.3% |
| 1998 | -5.3% | +1146.8% |
| 1999 | 0.1% | -102.1% |
| 2000 | 1.7% | +1381.1% |
| 2001 | 0.9% | -46.2% |
| 2002 | 0.6% | -28.1% |
| 2003 | 1.4% | +124.2% |
| 2004 | 3.5% | +145.4% |
| 2005 | 5.1% | +43.9% |
| 2006 | 2.6% | -47.8% |
| 2007 | 6.4% | +142.4% |
| 2008 | 2.3% | -64.3% |
| 2009 | 0.5% | -80.3% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 0.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is -2.1%. (47 countries reporting)
- Iran's 0.5% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is -3.7%. (14 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP) in Iran changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +1381.1% | 0.1% | 1.7% |
| 1998 | -1146.8% | -0.4% | -5.3% |
| 1974 | +681.6% | -0.8% | 4.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -2.6% | -10.0% | 4.5% | 8 |
| 1980s | -7.5% | -13.9% | -3.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | -1.0% | -5.3% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.5% | 0.5% | 6.4% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Iran
- 29 Luxembourg 0.8% compare
- 30 Vanuatu 0.7% compare
- 31 Switzerland 0.5% compare
- 33 Portugal 0.4% compare
- 34 United Arab Emirates 0.4% compare
- 35 Afghanistan 0.4%
More public sector data for Iran
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 42.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.4587 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0001 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 100 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 42.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 86.19 current USD per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in Iran?
- Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in Iran was 0.5% in 2009, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 6.4% in 2007.
- What is the lowest net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was -13.9% in 1980.
- How does Iran rank for net lending (+) / net borrowing (-)?
- Iran ranks 32nd out of 156 countries with data for 2009.
- Is net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is up 304.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 38 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Net lending (+) / net borrowing (–) equals government revenue minus expense, minus net investment in nonfinancial assets. It is also equal to the net result of transactions in financial assets and liabilities. Net lending/net borrowing is a summary measure indicating the extent to which government is either putting financial resources at the disposal of other sectors in the economy or abroad, or utilizing the financial resources generated by other sectors in the economy or from abroad. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.