| Here’s a look at Standard & Poor’s long-term debt ratings and outlooks for major countries, as of Aug. 3. Listed in alphabetical order, from highest to lowest S&P rating. |
| Country Rating Outlook |
| AUSTRALIA AAA Stable |
| BRITAIN AAA Stable |
| CANADA AAA Stable |
| DENMARK AAA Stable |
| FINLAND AAA Negative |
| GERMANY AAA Stable |
| HONG KONG AAA Stable |
| NETHERLANDS AAA Negative |
| NORWAY AAA Stable |
| SWEDEN AAA Stable |
| SWITZERLAND AAA Stable |
| AUSTRIA AA+ Negative |
| FRANCE AA+ Negative |
| UNITED STATES AA+ Negative Lowered by one notch on Aug. 5, 2011, S&P’s first downgrade of US debt since it assigned the nation’s AAA rating in 1917 |
| NEW ZEALAND AA Stable |
| BELGIUM AA Negative |
| CHINA AA- Stable |
| CZECH REPUBLIC AA- Stable |
| JAPAN AA- Negative |
| ISRAEL A+ Stable |
| SLOVENIA A+ Negative |
| SLOVAK REPUBLIC A Stable |
| SOUTH KOREA A Stable |
| MALAYSIA A- Stable |
| POLAND A- Stable |
| IRELAND BBB+ Negative |
| ITALY BBB+ Negative |
| SPAIN BBB+ Negative |
| PORTUGAL BB Negative Non-investment grade, or junk |
| GREECE CCC Stable Non-investment grade, or junk |