External Debt by Country (2024)
119 countries · % of GNI · Source: World Bank · Updated May 2026
Global External Debt
External debt — money owed to foreign creditors — creates vulnerability to currency crises and capital flight because repayments must be made in foreign currency. Countries with high external debt relative to GNI face greater risks during global financial stress. The 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, 2001 Argentine default, and 2022 Sri Lanka collapse were all triggered by external debt unsustainability. External debt data is primarily available for developing countries; advanced economies typically borrow domestically.
| # | Country | % of GNI |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mozambique | 350.6% |
| 2 | Lebanon | 331.6% |
| 3 | Mongolia | 181.9% |
| 4 | Senegal | 150.7% |
| 5 | Suriname | 129.1% |
| 6 | Mauritius | 123.2% |
| 7 | Lao PDR | 115.4% |
| 8 | Bhutan | 114.5% |
| 9 | Zambia | 114.2% |
| 10 | Montenegro | 108.6% |
| 11 | Ukraine | 101.3% |
| 12 | Rwanda | 93.9% |
| 13 | Jordan | 90.1% |
| 14 | Cabo Verde | 86.9% |
| 15 | Djibouti | 83.8% |
| 16 | Nicaragua | 82.8% |
| 17 | Dominica | 82.4% |
| 18 | North Macedonia | 81.2% |
| 19 | Georgia | 79.7% |
| 20 | Angola | 79.6% |
| 21 | Tunisia | 77.7% |
| 22 | Jamaica | 76.1% |
| 23 | Maldives | 75.6% |
| 24 | El Salvador | 75.4% |
| 25 | Fiji | 71.4% |
| 26 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 70.3% |
| 27 | Paraguay | 69.7% |
| 28 | Kyrgyz Republic | 69.2% |
| 29 | Grenada | 68.6% |
| 30 | Guinea-Bissau | 67.1% |
| 31 | Benin | 66.6% |
| 32 | Gambia, The | 66.4% |
| 33 | Armenia | 66.0% |
| 34 | Lesotho | 65.4% |
| 35 | Kazakhstan | 62.6% |
| 36 | Serbia | 62.2% |
| 37 | Uzbekistan | 60.5% |
| 38 | Nigeria | 60.0% |
| 39 | Sri Lanka | 58.9% |
| 40 | Moldova | 57.1% |
| 41 | Bulgaria | 55.1% |
| 42 | St. Lucia | 51.3% |
| 43 | Liberia | 50.5% |
| 44 | Ecuador | 49.7% |
| 45 | Colombia | 49.2% |
| 46 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 49.2% |
| 47 | Cote d'Ivoire | 48.8% |
| 48 | Burkina Faso | 48.8% |
| 49 | Tanzania | 47.3% |
| 50 | Burundi | 47.1% |