With other creditors stepping back from lending to IDA-eligible countries, the role of multilateral creditors must expand to serve their ongoing needs. And the World Bank has plans for this. The challenge, however, is how to ensure that development goals are met, public debt levels are sustainable, and burden-sharing with other official and private creditors is equitable.
Learn how to easily access and download the data behind the analysis in the International Debt Report 2023.
Though the South Asia Region (SAR) contains just eight countries, it accounts for almost a quarter of the world’s population. But it also carries an increasing share of global debt. Exploring South Asia’s debt dynamics helps us understand and better manage fiscal risks.
The world’s poorest countries face ballooning debt service payments, record high refinancing costs, limited access to markets, and severely reduced capital inflows. Without action, 2024 will see a further rise in debt vulnerability —potentially leading to reversals in development outcomes.
The International Debt Report 2023 is the 50th edition of the World Bank’s annual publication. Over the past decade, the rise in the external debt stock of low- and middle-income countries has outpaced economic growth, raising concerns about these countries’ ability to service their debt. Read more on this and findings from the latest data.
The latest data from the most comprehensive and transparent source of verifiable, cross-country comparable external debt data of low- and middle-income countries. Visit the World Bank's DataBank to explore the International Debt Statistics database.
Program Manager, Development Data Group
Senior Economist, Development Data Group
Senior Economist, Development Data Group
