China vs Low & middle income: Debt service on external debt, total

China
352.50 billion TDS, current US$
in 2024
Low & middle income
1.29 trillion TDS, current US$
in 2024
China rank
1st
Low & middle income rank
1st

Debt service on external debt, total over time

  • China
  • Low & middle income
0500.0B1.0T1.5T197019972024

How they compare

Low & middle income currently reports 1.29 trillion TDS, current US$ against 352.50 billion TDS, current US$ in China, a difference of 940.36 billion TDS, current US$.

That makes Low & middle income's figure about 3.7 times China's.

Across all 44 years both countries report, Low & middle income has been ahead every year.

China ranks 1st and Low & middle income ranks 1st of 121 countries.

Low & middle income has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade China Low & middle income Difference Ahead
1980s 3.15 billion TDS, current US$ 93.77 billion TDS, current US$ 90.61 billion TDS, current US$ Low & middle income
1990s 13.96 billion TDS, current US$ 177.79 billion TDS, current US$ 163.83 billion TDS, current US$ Low & middle income
2000s 30.37 billion TDS, current US$ 344.04 billion TDS, current US$ 313.67 billion TDS, current US$ Low & middle income
2010s 136.34 billion TDS, current US$ 725.44 billion TDS, current US$ 589.10 billion TDS, current US$ Low & middle income
2020s 373.38 billion TDS, current US$ 1.24 trillion TDS, current US$ 867.49 billion TDS, current US$ Low & middle income

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher debt service on external debt, total, China or Low & middle income?
Low & middle income, at 1.29 trillion TDS, current US$ against 352.50 billion TDS, current US$ in China as of 2024.
What is the difference in debt service on external debt, total between China and Low & middle income?
940.36 billion TDS, current US$, with Low & middle income ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and Low & middle income?
44 years are reported by both, from 1981 to 2024.
How do China and Low & middle income rank globally for debt service on external debt, total?
China ranks 1st and Low & middle income ranks 1st of 121 countries.
Where does this data come from?
International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB), published as Debt service on external debt, total (TDS, current US$). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs Low & middle income: Debt service on external debt, total. Statizoid, drawing on International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://debt.statizoid.com/compare/debt-service-on-external-debt-total-tds-current-us/china/low-and-middle-income/

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About this data

Indicator
Debt service on external debt, total (TDS, current US$)
Unit
TDS, current US$
Source
International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
133 places, 6,429 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

Total debt service is the sum of principal repayments and interest actually paid in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt, interest paid on short-term debt, and repayments (repurchases and charges) to the IMF. Data are in current U.S. dollars.