Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in North America
North America: Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) was -6.7% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in North America, 1972–2024
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2024, net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in North America stood at -6.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 102.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in North America peaked at 2.2% in 2000 and was at its lowest, -14.0%, in 2020.
North America ranks 24th of 24 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in North America, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | -1.4% | — |
| 1973 | -1.0% | -25.3% |
| 1974 | -0.1% | -90.0% |
| 1975 | -2.4% | +2276.3% |
| 1976 | -3.4% | +41.9% |
| 1977 | -2.1% | -39.7% |
| 1978 | -1.7% | -15.1% |
| 1979 | -0.7% | -61.8% |
| 1980 | -1.8% | +165.7% |
| 1981 | -1.5% | -15.9% |
| 1982 | -3.1% | +110.8% |
| 1983 | -5.2% | +65.8% |
| 1984 | -4.0% | -22.3% |
| 1985 | -4.3% | +5.7% |
| 1986 | -4.6% | +6.9% |
| 1987 | -3.0% | -35.1% |
| 1988 | -3.0% | +0.4% |
| 1989 | -2.6% | -12.1% |
| 1990 | -3.7% | +42.6% |
| 1991 | -4.4% | +18.4% |
| 1992 | -4.5% | +1.1% |
| 1993 | -3.9% | -13.9% |
| 1994 | -3.0% | -23.3% |
| 1995 | -2.1% | -27.2% |
| 1996 | -1.5% | -31.8% |
| 1997 | -0.2% | -87.9% |
| 1998 | 0.8% | -545.0% |
| 1999 | 1.3% | +59.5% |
| 2000 | 2.2% | +77.1% |
| 2001 | 0.2% | -93.1% |
| 2002 | -2.5% | -1719.8% |
| 2003 | -3.6% | +46.8% |
| 2004 | -3.4% | -7.2% |
| 2005 | -2.7% | -19.5% |
| 2006 | -1.8% | -33.9% |
| 2007 | -2.1% | +15.8% |
| 2008 | -4.7% | +127.5% |
| 2009 | -9.4% | +99.3% |
| 2010 | -9.3% | -1.0% |
| 2011 | -8.3% | -11.5% |
| 2012 | -6.7% | -18.6% |
| 2013 | -3.8% | -43.5% |
| 2014 | -3.3% | -13.1% |
| 2015 | -2.8% | -14.1% |
| 2016 | -3.5% | +22.1% |
| 2017 | -2.7% | -23.4% |
| 2018 | -4.3% | +61.7% |
| 2019 | -4.9% | +13.6% |
| 2020 | -14.0% | +186.3% |
| 2021 | -11.8% | -15.3% |
| 2022 | -4.0% | -66.0% |
| 2023 | -6.6% | +63.7% |
| 2024 | -6.7% | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -1.6% | -3.4% | -0.1% | 8 |
| 1980s | -3.3% | -5.2% | -1.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | -2.1% | -4.5% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | -2.8% | -9.4% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | -5.0% | -9.3% | -2.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | -8.6% | -14.0% | -4.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near North America
- 21 Timor-Leste 1.6% compare
- 22 Russian Federation 1.6% compare
- 23 Congo 1.3% compare
- 24 Belarus 1.3% compare
- 25 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 1.2% compare
- 26 Greece 1.2% compare
- 27 San Marino 1.2% compare
More public sector data for North America
- Arms imports 1.36 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 3.56 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 56.45 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 1.36 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 2,692 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0325 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 8.84 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 1.03 trillion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 48.39 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in North America?
- Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in North America was -6.7% in 2024, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 2.2% in 2000.
- What is the lowest net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was -14.0% in 2020.
- How does North America rank for net lending (+) / net borrowing (-)?
- North America ranks 24th out of 24 groups with data for 2024.
- Is net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 102.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this North America 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 — 53 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.