In October 2014, the World Bank in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), launched the new Quarterly External Debt Statistics (QEDS) GDDS database inline with the classifications and definitions of the 2013 External Debt Statistics: Guide for Compilers and Users (2013 EDS Guide) (PDF) and Sixth Edition of Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM6) (PDF). The QEDS GDDS database provides external debt data, starting from 2002Q4, for an extension of countries that participate in the IMF's General Data Dissemination System (GDDS). The participation of countries in the GDDS/QEDS database is voluntary.
In order to present data consistent with 2013 EDS Guide/BPM6 basis in the new database , the World Bank converted previously reported data on a 2003 EDS Guide/BPM5 basis onto a 2013 EDS Guide/BPM6 basis for those countries who have not yet switched to the new reporting format. This data was converted to a 2013 EDS Guide/BPM6 basis using a generic conversion template with data up to current quarter. The conversion was undertaken in close consultation with reporting QEDS countries.
A new template was developed for collecting quarterly time series information on a 2013 EDS Guide/BPM6 basis on external debt (GDDS_QEDS_template v2.2.xlsx).
The QEDS/GDDS database focuses on the dissemination of public and publicly-guaranteed private sector external debt position data broken down by maturity as the essential item for participation in the QEDS, but encourages the dissemination of other data in line with the GDDS, including the external debt-service payment schedule, creditor sector information, the external debt position data broken by type of instrument, and domestic-foreign currency breakdown of debt. Provision of data on public and publicly-guaranteed private sector external debt position data broken down by maturity for Table 1 is essential for participation in the QEDS; data on private sector external debt not publicly guaranteed in Table 1 are not required for participation, although—if available—data are encouraged to be reported.
Participants are also welcome to provide: the encouraged GDDS tables on debt-service payment schedule for public and publicly-guaranteed private sector external debt broken down by principal and interest (Table 2), public and publicly-guaranteed private sector external debt position owed to the nonresident creditor sectors (Table 3), public sector debt and publicly-guaranteed private sector debt external debt position data broken down by type of instrument (Table 4) and public and publicly-guaranteed private sector external debt data broken down by foreign currency and domestic currency denominated debt (Table5). GDDS participating countries that are in a position to produce the external debt position by sector data (a SDDS prescribed component) should report Table 6.
The QEDS GDDS Template Instructions (PDF) provides further details on the “Updated GDDS QEDS template”, “What is new in the updated QEDS/GDDS template”, and “Main changes included in the updated QEDS tables”. Also, you can find in the instructions document about how to use and complete the GDDS QEDS template, where to send your data and how often the database is updated.
Frequently asked questions about GDDS data