China vs Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income): Short-term debt

China
54.0%
in 2024
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
21.8%
in 2024
China rank
2nd
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) rank
5th

Short-term debt over time

  • China
  • Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
020406080197019972024

How they compare

China currently reports 54.0% against 21.8% in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income), a difference of 32.2%.

That makes China's figure about 2.5 times Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)'s.

The two have swapped places 5 times across 44 shared years of data; in 1981 it was Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) ahead.

China ranks 2nd and Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) ranks 5th of 122 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 4 and Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade China Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) Difference Ahead
1980s 26.5% 11.4% 15.1% China
1990s 17.1% 18.3% 1.2% Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
2000s 42.5% 19.6% 22.9% China
2010s 65.1% 20.0% 45.2% China
2020s 52.0% 20.3% 31.7% China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher short-term debt, China or Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
China, at 54.0% against 21.8% in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) as of 2024.
What is the difference in short-term debt between China and Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
32.2%, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
44 years are reported by both, from 1981 to 2024.
How do China and Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) rank globally for short-term debt?
China ranks 2nd and Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) ranks 5th of 122 countries.
Where does this data come from?
International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB), published as Short-term debt (% of total external debt). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income): Short-term debt. Statizoid, drawing on International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://debt.statizoid.com/compare/short-term-debt-percent-of-total-external-debt/china/europe-and-central-asia-excluding-high-income/

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About this data

Indicator
Short-term debt (% of total external debt)
Unit
% of total external debt
Source
International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
134 places, 6,579 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

Short-term debt includes all debt having an original maturity of one year or less and interest in arrears on long-term debt. Total external debt is debt owed to nonresidents repayable in currency, goods, or services. Total external debt is the sum of public, publicly guaranteed, and private nonguaranteed long-term debt, use of IMF credit, and short-term debt.