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Indicators · Macro stability

External debt

Debt owed to foreign creditors by the government and private sector, as a share of gross national income.

Why it matters

Foreign debt must be repaid in hard currency, so high levels put pressure on the exchange rate and on access to dollars for repatriating profits.

Read with care

Published with a lag of one to two years. Not reported for high-income economies.

Source

World Bank

% of GNI. 49 African countries, 1990 to 2024.

External debt: highest in Mozambique, lowest in Botswana

External debt, % of GNI. Latest year available, 2024. 14 of 16 countries have data.

27%
36%
47%
93%
No data
Loading map…
Source: World Bank· Get the data (Professional)·dotzedw Insights Centre

Ranked: external debtiWhy it mattersForeign debt must be repaid in hard currency, so high levels put pressure on the exchange rate and on access to dollars for repatriating profits.

Click a country to highlight it.

0%100%200%300%400%Mozambique350.6%Mauritius123.2%Zambia114.2%Angola79.6%Lesotho65.4%Tanzania47.3%South Africa44.8%Madagascar39.2%Malawi35.2%Zimbabwe33.0%Eswatini27.8%Comoros24.8%DRC18.3%Botswana11.9%median 42.0%
dotzedw Insights Centre
How spread out SADC is
Median 42.0%Log scaleLowest: Botswana 11.9%Highest: Mozambique 350.6%

Over time

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External debt against income per person

Each bubble is a SADC country, sized by population. Dashed lines mark the SADC medians. Countries far from the pattern are worth a closer look.

0.0%100.0%200.0%300.0%400.0%$1,000$3,000$10kGDP per person, US$ (log scale)External debtDRCTanzaniaSouth AfricaAngolaMozambiqueMadagascarZambiaZimbabwe
Source: World Bank, World Bank·dotzedw Insights Centre

Table

The same figures as the map, for screen readers and copying.
RankCountryValueYearFive-year changeGradeDetails
1Mozambique350.6%2024down 13.9 points since 2019A
2Mauritius123.2%2024up 42.1 points since 2019A
3Zambia114.2%2024down 14.1 points since 2019A
4Angola79.6%2024down 17.0 points since 2019A
5Lesotho65.4%2024up 9.8 points since 2019A
6Tanzania47.3%2024up 6.6 points since 2019A
7South Africa44.8%2024down 5.4 points since 2019A
8Madagascar39.2%2024up 9.6 points since 2019A
9Malawi35.2%2024up 12.7 points since 2019A
10Zimbabwe33.0%2024down 16.7 points since 2019A
11Eswatini27.8%2024up 7.6 points since 2019A
12Comoros24.8%2024up 2.3 points since 2019A
13DRC18.3%2024up 3.5 points since 2019A
14Botswana11.9%2024up 2.6 points since 2019A
–NamibiaNo recent data
–SeychellesNo recent data