Net Debt Per Capita: What It Means, How It Works, and Significance

What Is Net Debt Per Capita?

Net debt per capita is a measurement of the value of a government's debt expressed in terms of the amount attributable to each citizen under the government's jurisdiction.

The level of net debt per capita can be a factor to consider when analyzing a government's ability to continue to pay its debt service costs through its current levels of tax revenue.

Understanding Net Debt Per Capita

Net debt per capita is how much debt a government has per citizen. It is most often calculated at the national level, but it can also be applied to state and city governments.

This number is sometimes used to help evaluate the default risk of a government's bonds as well as to assess its overall economic health.

Net debt per capita is a simple calculation to perform. The formula is:

Net Debt Per Capita = (Short-Term Debt + Long-Term Debt – Cash & Cash Equivalents)/Population

For example, if a country with a population of 300 million people has a total debt of $950 billion and cash of $20 billion, its net debt per capita is:

Net Debt Per Capita = ($950 Billion – $20 Billion)/300 Million = $3,100

These numbers can usually be obtained without the effort of gathering the data and calculating it. Many public sources and economic think tanks regularly publish the figures.

What the Number Means

Theoretically, the net debt per capital number means that each taxpayer would have to pay the government $3,100 if it had to pay off its debt in full. This is assuming, of course, that every citizen became liable for the outstanding debt of the country, which wouldn't happen in practice.

Net debt per capita is simply an indicator by which to measure a country's financial health rather than an actual approximation of individual liability.

Significance of Net Debt Per Capita

Net debt per capita is more commonly used for political statements than as an economic indicator in and of itself. Expressing the national debt in terms of a citizen's share makes it more real and relevant.

As of Jan. 6, 2024, the net debt per capita of the United States is $102,409. Countries with higher net debt per capita include the United Kingdom and The Netherlands. Japan has a relatively light debt load.

These figures are generally used in domestic politics to push for some change in fiscal policy. That said, net debt per capita may be plotted against per capita GDP to compare several regions around the world to determine the most promising areas to invest in internationally. However, the debt to GDP ratio is more commonly used for this purpose as it simplifies two data sets into a single plotted line for each country. This makes visualization and comparison much easier.

The Bottom Line

National debt per capita is largely a political talking point. It helps communicate a government's level of indebtedness so that its citizens can understand it more fully.

Theoretically, every man, woman, and child in the U.S. would have to pay the U.S. government $102,409 to wipe out the national debt. Practically speaking, that's not going to happen.