Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) in Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS): Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) was 24.68 in 2027. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2027)
24.68
Change on year
up 1.6%
Rank
14th
of 19 groups
All-time high
43.97
in 2000
All-time low
4.19
in 2012
Years of data
28
2000–2027

Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) in Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), 2000–2027

0102030402000201320272000: 442001: 41.12002: 34.12003: 32.92004: 28.12005: 21.62006: 9.62007: 8.52008: 72009: 7.82010: 5.12011: 5.22012: 4.22013: 4.92014: 52015: 6.32016: 7.72017: 10.62018: 11.52019: 11.32020: 14.42021: 15.42022: 15.52023: 19.72024: 28.72025: 26.52026: 24.32027: 24.7

Source: International Monetary Fund.

Analysis

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) recorded 24.68 for gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) in 2027.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 132.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) in Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) peaked at 43.97 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 4.19, in 2012.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) in Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), year by year

Annual values for Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, Sixth Edition (BPM6)) in Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), 2000 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2000 43.97
2001 41.11 -6.5%
2002 34.13 -17.0%
2003 32.93 -3.5%
2004 28.1 -14.7%
2005 21.58 -23.2%
2006 9.62 -55.4%
2007 8.47 -11.9%
2008 7.02 -17.1%
2009 7.8 +11.0%
2010 5.11 -34.4%
2011 5.23 +2.3%
2012 4.19 -19.9%
2013 4.9 +16.9%
2014 5.01 +2.3%
2015 6.25 +24.7%
2016 7.75 +23.9%
2017 10.63 +37.2%
2018 11.48 +8.0%
2019 11.33 -1.3%
2020 14.43 +27.4%
2021 15.4 +6.8%
2022 15.47 +0.4%
2023 19.67 +27.2%
2024 28.71 +45.9%
2025 26.53 -7.6%
2026 24.29 -8.4%
2027 24.68 +1.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 23.47 7.02 43.97 10
2010s 7.19 4.19 11.48 10
2020s 21.15 14.43 28.71 8

Countries ranked near Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

  1. 11 Lesotho 38.06 compare
  2. 12 Angola 36.12 compare
  3. 13 Cote d'Ivoire 33.29 compare
  4. 14 Seychelles 32.19 compare
  5. 15 Comoros 31.52 compare
  6. 16 Eswatini 31.47 compare
  7. 17 Congo 31.08 compare

See the full ranking of 64 places →

More external debt data for Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

All data for Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) →

Frequently asked questions

What is gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) in Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)?
Gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) in Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was 24.68 in 2027, according to International Monetary Fund.
What is the highest gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) recorded in Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)?
The highest recorded value was 43.97 in 2000.
What is the lowest gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) recorded in Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)?
The lowest recorded value was 4.19 in 2012.
How does Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) rank for gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and)?
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ranks 14th out of 19 groups with data for 2027.
Is gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) rising or falling in Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)?
Over the last ten years it is up 132.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) data come from?
The figures come from International Monetary Fund, published as part of Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, Sixth Edition (BPM6)). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under IMF Terms and Conditions (attribution required).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) in Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Statizoid, drawing on International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 19 September 2026, from https://debt.statizoid.com/stat/gross-external-debt-percent-of-gdp-balance-of-payments-and-international-investment/economic-community-of-west-african-states-ecowas/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under IMF Terms and Conditions (attribution required); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://debt.statizoid.com/stat/gross-external-debt-percent-of-gdp-balance-of-payments-and-international-investment/economic-community-of-west-african-states-ecowas/">Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) in Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, Sixth Edition (BPM6))
Source
International Monetary Fund
Licence
IMF Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
64 places, 1,765 data points, 2000–2027
Last refreshed

Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Economic Outlook (REO) provides information on recent economic developments and prospects for countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Data for the REO for sub-Saharan Africa are prepared in conjunction with the semi-annual World Economic Outlook (WEO) exercises, spring and fall.