Debt service on external debt, total in Zambia
Zambia: Debt service on external debt, total was 3.91 billion TDS, current US$ in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
3.91 billion TDS, current US$
Change on year
up 313.2%
World rank
40th
of 122 countries
All-time high
3.91 billion TDS, current US$
in 2024
All-time low
75.57 million TDS, current US$
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Debt service on external debt, total in Zambia, 1970–2024
Source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Measured in TDS, current US$.
Analysis
In 2024, debt service on external debt, total in Zambia stood at 3.91 billion TDS, current US$. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 313.2% on the previous year and up 797.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, debt service on external debt, total in Zambia peaked at 3.91 billion TDS, current US$ in 2024 and was at its lowest, 75.57 million TDS, current US$, in 1970.
Zambia ranks 40th of 122 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Debt service on external debt, total in Zambia, year by year
| Year | TDS, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 75.57 million TDS, current US$ | — |
| 1971 | 90.66 million TDS, current US$ | +20.0% |
| 1972 | 126.45 million TDS, current US$ | +39.5% |
| 1973 | 384.04 million TDS, current US$ | +203.7% |
| 1974 | 135.09 million TDS, current US$ | -64.8% |
| 1975 | 169.59 million TDS, current US$ | +25.5% |
| 1976 | 179.79 million TDS, current US$ | +6.0% |
| 1977 | 258.16 million TDS, current US$ | +43.6% |
| 1978 | 296.88 million TDS, current US$ | +15.0% |
| 1979 | 339.22 million TDS, current US$ | +14.3% |
| 1980 | 411.98 million TDS, current US$ | +21.4% |
| 1981 | 421.48 million TDS, current US$ | +2.3% |
| 1982 | 335.52 million TDS, current US$ | -20.4% |
| 1983 | 298.32 million TDS, current US$ | -11.1% |
| 1984 | 243.02 million TDS, current US$ | -18.5% |
| 1985 | 136.42 million TDS, current US$ | -43.9% |
| 1986 | 385.78 million TDS, current US$ | +182.8% |
| 1987 | 171.09 million TDS, current US$ | -55.7% |
| 1988 | 188.93 million TDS, current US$ | +10.4% |
| 1989 | 189.95 million TDS, current US$ | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 200.65 million TDS, current US$ | +5.6% |
| 1991 | 593.21 million TDS, current US$ | +195.6% |
| 1992 | 349.50 million TDS, current US$ | -41.1% |
| 1993 | 361.64 million TDS, current US$ | +3.5% |
| 1994 | 374.53 million TDS, current US$ | +3.6% |
| 1995 | 2.61 billion TDS, current US$ | +597.6% |
| 1996 | 250.71 million TDS, current US$ | -90.4% |
| 1997 | 245.83 million TDS, current US$ | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 202.08 million TDS, current US$ | -17.8% |
| 1999 | 152.07 million TDS, current US$ | -24.7% |
| 2000 | 189.38 million TDS, current US$ | +24.5% |
| 2001 | 187.02 million TDS, current US$ | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 226.84 million TDS, current US$ | +21.3% |
| 2003 | 559.29 million TDS, current US$ | +146.6% |
| 2004 | 469.15 million TDS, current US$ | -16.1% |
| 2005 | 284.39 million TDS, current US$ | -39.4% |
| 2006 | 145.36 million TDS, current US$ | -48.9% |
| 2007 | 125.30 million TDS, current US$ | -13.8% |
| 2008 | 164.96 million TDS, current US$ | +31.7% |
| 2009 | 169.90 million TDS, current US$ | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 156.09 million TDS, current US$ | -8.1% |
| 2011 | 226.25 million TDS, current US$ | +44.9% |
| 2012 | 241.37 million TDS, current US$ | +6.7% |
| 2013 | 353.50 million TDS, current US$ | +46.5% |
| 2014 | 436.22 million TDS, current US$ | +23.4% |
| 2015 | 578.21 million TDS, current US$ | +32.5% |
| 2016 | 782.06 million TDS, current US$ | +35.3% |
| 2017 | 905.83 million TDS, current US$ | +15.8% |
| 2018 | 1.37 billion TDS, current US$ | +51.4% |
| 2019 | 2.72 billion TDS, current US$ | +98.6% |
| 2020 | 2.05 billion TDS, current US$ | -24.9% |
| 2021 | 1.72 billion TDS, current US$ | -16.0% |
| 2022 | 1.46 billion TDS, current US$ | -14.8% |
| 2023 | 946.86 million TDS, current US$ | -35.4% |
| 2024 | 3.91 billion TDS, current US$ | +313.2% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 3.91 billion TDS, current US$ is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.79 billion TDS, current US$, 2.2× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 3.91 billion TDS, current US$ is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 421.48 million TDS, current US$, 9.3× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Debt service on external debt, total in Zambia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +597.6% | 374.53 million TDS, current US$ | 2.61 billion TDS, current US$ |
| 2024 | +313.2% | 946.86 million TDS, current US$ | 3.91 billion TDS, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 205.55 million TDS, current US$ | 75.57 million TDS, current US$ | 384.04 million TDS, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 278.25 million TDS, current US$ | 136.42 million TDS, current US$ | 421.48 million TDS, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 534.28 million TDS, current US$ | 152.07 million TDS, current US$ | 2.61 billion TDS, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 252.16 million TDS, current US$ | 125.30 million TDS, current US$ | 559.29 million TDS, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 777.42 million TDS, current US$ | 156.09 million TDS, current US$ | 2.72 billion TDS, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.02 billion TDS, current US$ | 946.86 million TDS, current US$ | 3.91 billion TDS, current US$ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More external debt data for Zambia
- IFC, private nonguaranteed -21.36 million NFL, US$ (2024)
- IFC, private nonguaranteed (NFL, US$), per capita -1 NFL, US$ per person (2024)
- IFC, private nonguaranteed (NFL, US$), per unit of GDP -0.0008 NFL, US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- IFC, private nonguaranteed (NFL, US$), per square kilometre 5.15 NFL, US$ per square kilometre (2023)
- Public and publicly guaranteed debt service 3.0% (2024)
- Net financial flows, IDA 334.58 million NFL, current US$ (2024)
- Net financial flows, IDA (NFL, current US$), per capita 15.7 NFL, current US$ per person (2024)
- Net financial flows, IDA (NFL, current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0132 NFL, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Net financial flows, IBRD -3.28 million NFL, current US$ (2004)
- Public and publicly guaranteed debt service 5.4% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is debt service on external debt, total in Zambia?
- Debt service on external debt, total in Zambia was 3.91 billion TDS, current US$ in 2024, according to International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest debt service on external debt, total recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.91 billion TDS, current US$ in 2024.
- What is the lowest debt service on external debt, total recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 75.57 million TDS, current US$ in 1970.
- How does Zambia rank for debt service on external debt, total?
- Zambia ranks 40th out of 122 countries with data for 2024.
- Is debt service on external debt, total rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 797.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB), published as part of Debt service on external debt, total (TDS, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
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.