Meet the countries with AAA ratings

Countries with the best debt ratings

There are only 17 nations that have a stamp of approval when it comes to how much they owe.

Annalyn Censky, On Friday July 29, 2011, 7:55 am EDT

Amid the contentious debt ceiling debate, the United States is at risk of being booted out of a prestigious group of countries that boast a spotless credit rating.

Only 17 countries in the world -- currently including the U.S. -- hold the highly coveted triple-A rating from both Standard & Poor's and Moody's. (S&P rates an additional three countries as triple-A, that aren't featured on Moody's list).

Germany, Canada, France, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland are among those with the undisputed stamp of approval -- so is the Isle of Man, a country off Ireland's east coast, and Singapore (both of which are too small to see on our CNNMoney map above.)

Now, S&P and Moody's are questioning the United States' membership in this exclusive club.

The triple-A rating enables nations to borrow funds at a low cost, because their governments are considered stable and their bonds safe.

The U.S. for example, has seen its dollar become the world's No. 1 reserve currency because its bonds are held in such high regard by investors. They're backed by the "full faith and credit of the U.S. government" -- which until now, has never seriously been called into question.

Already, just the threat of a possible downgrade has taken a toll.

Prior to November 2007, the United States boasted some of the safest bonds in the world. That started to gradually change with the recession, and now the country's creditworthiness continues to be questioned amid the debt ceiling debates.

Investors can discern the "risk" associated with a country's debt, by looking at the cost to insure against a possible default -- through a financial instrument called a credit default swap. In the case of the U.S., that cost surged on Thursday to its highest level since 2009.

Debt ceiling fight: What a downgrade would mean

By that measure, U.S. bonds are no longer in the clear lead as a safe bet, compared to other triple-A rated countries.

By looking at the prices of 5-year credit default swaps, Norway's debt ranks the safest, followed by Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, the Netherlands and Australia.

Canada, Singapore and Germany also have safer bonds than the United States.

If lawmakers don't come through with a deal to raise the debt ceiling and lower the long term deficit, the U.S. could soon join the ranks of the lower-level, double-A rated countries like China, Spain, Japan, Saudi Arabia and even Kuwait.

Where Canada ranks

Bond rating agency Moody's Investor Services is maintaining Canada's debt rating at triple-A, the highest possible.

The firm said Thursday the AAA rating was warranted, citing among other things, the country's "high degree of economic resiliency" and deficit-cutting efforts by the federal and provincial governments.

It based its assumption about resiliency on Canada's "high per capita income, the large scale of the economy and its diversity, including natural resource industries and a competitive manufacturing sector, as well as a well-developed and well-regulated financial market."

Moody's said there are risks posed by Canada's housing market — where many mortgages are insured by the federal Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation — and Quebec's sovereignty issues, but it rated those as low.

Moody's considered a major downturn of the housing market unlikely and, even in an extreme case, Ottawa's extra costs would be relatively small.

Similarly, Quebec's sovereignty movement doesn't seem to pose a significant risk since the issue doesn't appear high on the political agenda.

Some market watchers have warned that the U.S. is in danger of losing its triple-A rating, especially if the current debt ceiling talks fail to make a significant dent in the deficit.