Total debt held by Australian governments will more than double from pre-pandemic levels to a record $2 trillion, and peak above 80 per cent of gross domestic product by 2024-25, according to global investment bank UBS.

Federal, state and local government deficits will be $193 billion, or 9 per cent of GDP in 2021-22, moving into the post-COVID-19 economic recovery phase, down from $263 billion or 12.8 per cent of GDP in 2020-21.