Debt: Development news, research, data

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Report

International Debt Report

Debt-service payments are putting the biggest squeeze on poor countries since 2000, according to the latest International Debt Report.

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Blog

Raising fiscal revenue in times of crisis

Improving countries’ capacity to mobilize resources efficiently will be critical to restore their fiscal and debt sustainability.

Jonathan Ernst/World Bank
Resources

Debt & Fiscal Risks Toolkit

Explore our one-stop shop for all the tools countries need to manage, record, and assess debt.

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Debt At-A-Glance

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, debt was already at record highs in emerging and developing economies. The pandemic is pushing a growing number of these countries into debt distress. Supporting the poorest countries in the fight against COVID-19 is our most urgent priority. We are deploying unprecedented support to enable countries to concentrate their resources on responding to the pandemic.

Overview

Data

Total Debt Service, % of GNI in Low-Income Countries

More Debt Data

Focus Area

Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC)

Launched in 1996, HIPC was designed to ensure that the poorest countries are not overwhelmed by unmanageable or unsustainable debt burdens. To date, 37 participating countries have received over $100 billion in debt relief.

Research & Resources

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Debt accumulation in recent years

Global debt has surged in recent years, but the seeds were sown long before COVID-19. Between 2011 and 2019, public debt in a sample of 65 developing countries increased by 18 percent of GDP on average—and by much more in several cases. Learn more.

Growing vulnerability to interest rate hikes

Today, much of the debt of developing economies involves variable interest rates—meaning they could rise almost as suddenly as rates on credit-card debt. This has left many countries in a precarious position. Learn more.