This article was first published 12 years ago

A look at best, worst rated countries in the world

Last updated on: March 14, 2013 10:44 IST

Image: A view of the Harbor Freeway in Los Angeles, California.
Photographs: Sam Mircovich/Reuters

The assessment of a country's creditworthiness is an art, not a science; a government's willingness to pay may be just as important as its ability to do so, according to The Economist.

It is partly down to a country's history of meeting its obligations and partly down to the nature of its creditors, it says.

Let's take a look at best and worst rated countries in the world.

Source: The Economist

...

Image: Brooklyn Bridge, right, and Manhattan Bridge are seen from the 90th storey of One World Trade Center in New York.
Photographs: Lucas Jackson/Reuters

The United States

Moody's rating: Aaa

S&P rating: AA+

Fitch rating: AAA

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: Minus 7.0 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 107.2 per cent

...

Image: Traffic on the road and the Thames passes the Houses of Parliament in London.
Photographs: Lucas Jackson/Reuters

The United Kingdom

Moody's rating: Aa1

S&P rating: AAA

Fitch rating: AAA

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: Minus 8.3 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 88.7 per cent

...

Image: An aerial view of Sydney's Opera House and Circular Quay in the city's central business district.
Photographs: Mark Baker/Reuters

Australia

Moody's rating: Aaa

S&P rating: AAA

Fitch rating: AAA

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: Minus 1.3 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 27.1 per cent

...

Image: A worker cleans away snow around the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
Photographs: Christopher Pike/Reuters

Canada

Moody's rating: Aaa

S&P rating: AAA

Fitch rating: AAA

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: Minus 3.7 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 99.0 per cent

...

Image: Marina Bay Sands hotel and ArtScience Museum, right, in Singapore.
Photographs: Matthew Lee/Reuters

Singapore

Moody's rating: Aaa

S&P rating: AAA

Fitch rating: AAA

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: 1.1 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 106.2 per cent

...

Image: A view of Hong Kong.
Photographs: Reuters

Hong Kong

Moody's rating: Aa1

S&P rating: AAA

Fitch rating: AA+

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: 1.0 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 33.1 per cent

...

Image: Japan's Mt Fuji, covered with snow, is seen through Shinjuku skyscrapers in Tokyo.
Photographs: Kimimasa Mayama/Reuters

Japan

Moody's rating: Aa3

S&P rating: AA-

Fitch rating: A+

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: Minus 9.8 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 236.6 per cent

...

Image: Part of Gangnam area is seen down the Han River in Seoul.
Photographs: Lee Jae-Won/Reuters

South Korea

Moody's rating: Aa3

S&P rating: A+

Fitch rating: AA-

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: 1.7 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 33.5 per cent

...

Image: A view of Taipei 101 building, the landmark of Taiwan.
Photographs: Stringer/Reuters

Taiwan

Moody's rating: Aa3

S&P rating: AA-

Fitch rating: A+

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: Minus 2.3 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 41.7 per cent

...

Image: Wellington Cable Car ascends with a view of the city in the background.
Photographs: Jacky Naegelen/Reuters

New Zealand

Moody's rating: Aaa

S&P rating: AA

Fitch rating: AA

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: Minus 6.5 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 38.6 per cent

...

Image: A view of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Photographs: John Schults/Reuters

France

Moody's rating: Aa1

S&P rating: AA+

Fitch rating: AAA

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: Minus 4.5 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 90.0 per cent

...

Image: An aerial view of the Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin.
Photographs: Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters

Germany

Moody's rating: Aaa

S&P rating: AAA

Fitch rating: AAA

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: 0.1 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 83.0 per cent

...

Image: Zurich's main shopping street Bahnhofstrasse.
Photographs: Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters

Switzerland

Moody's rating: Aaa

S&P rating: AAA

Fitch rating: AAA

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: 0.0 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 46.7 per cent

...

Image: A view of Stockholm.
Photographs: Ints Kalnins/Reuters

Sweden

Moody's rating: Aaa

S&P rating: AAA

Fitch rating: AAA

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: 0.0 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 37.1 per cent

...

Image: Tourists stroll along Barcelona's harbour in Barcelona.
Photographs: Gustau Nacarino/Reuters

Spain

Moody's rating: Baa3

S&P rating: BBB-

Fitch rating: BBB

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: Minus 8.0 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 90.7 per cent

...

Image: A view of the Ljubljanica river in capital Ljubljanica.
Photographs: Srdjan Zivulovic/Reuters

Slovenia

Moody's rating: Baa2

S&P rating: A-

Fitch rating: A-

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: Minus 4.0 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 53.2 per cent

...

Image: A passanger walks out of a Lisbon subway station decorated with sculptures.
Photographs: Jose Manuel Ribeiro/Reuters

Portugal

Moody's rating: Ba3

S&P rating: BB

Fitch rating: BB+

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: Minus 5.1 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 119.1 per cent

...

Image: A view of the Polish Parliament building in Warsaw.
Photographs: Slawomir Kaminski/Agencja Gazeta/Reuters

Poland

Moody's rating: A2

S&P rating: A-

Fitch rating: A-

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: Minus 3.7 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 55.1 per cent

...

Image: Royal Palace is seen at the end of Karl Johans Gate in Oslo.
Photographs: Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters

Norway

Moody's rating: Aaa

S&P rating: AAA

Fitch rating: AAA

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: 13.8 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 49.6 per cent

...

Image: American tourists picnic while enjoying the Dutch tulip fields in Noordwijk.
Photographs: Michael Kooren/Reuters

The Netherlands

Moody's rating: Aaa

S&P rating: AAA

Fitch rating: AAA

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: Minus 4.1 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 68.2 per cent

...

Image: Ice skaters on a rink in Mexico City's Zocalo Square.
Photographs: Edgard Garrido/Reuters

Mexico

Moody's rating: Baa1

S&P rating: BBB

Fitch rating: BBB

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: Minus 2.4 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 43.1 per cent

...

Image: Petrusse River near old fortifications of Luxembourg.
Photographs: Laurent Dubrule/Reuters

Luxembourg

Moody's rating: Aaa

S&P rating: AAA

Fitch rating: AAA

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: Minus 1.1 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 21.7 per cent

...

Image: An aerial view of St Peter's Square in Rome.
Photographs: Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters

Italy

Moody's rating: Baa2

S&P rating: BBB+

Fitch rating: A-

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: Minus 3.0 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 126.3 per cent

...

Image: A view of Budapest.
Photographs: Bernadett Szabo/Reuters

Hungary

Moody's rating: Ba1

S&P rating: BB

Fitch rating: BB+

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: Minus 2.8 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 74.0 per cent

...

Image: Tourists take part in the reindeer safari at Arctic Circle near Rovaniemi, northern Finland.
Photographs: Kacper Pempel/Reuters

Finland

Moody's rating: Aaa

S&P rating: AAA

Fitch rating: AAA

Budget balance as per cent of GDP: Minus 1.9 per cent

Debt as per cent of GDP: 52.6 per cent

A look at best, worst rated countries in the world

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