Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) in Ethiopia

Ethiopia: Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) was 26.84 in 2027. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2027)
26.84
Change on year
down 10.0%
World rank
22nd
of 45 countries
All-time high
71.72
in 2002
All-time low
10.51
in 2008
Years of data
28
2000–2027

Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) in Ethiopia, 2000–2027

204060802000201320272000: 66.82001: 69.32002: 71.72003: 69.82004: 71.12005: 47.82006: 37.12007: 10.52008: 10.52009: 13.92010: 202011: 22.92012: 19.12013: 21.32014: 22.82015: 26.22016: 28.12017: 29.12018: 30.62019: 28.22020: 28.82021: 29.12022: 242023: 18.12024: 22.82025: 32.52026: 29.82027: 26.8

Source: International Monetary Fund.

Analysis

In 2027, gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) in Ethiopia stood at 26.84.

The figure is down 10.0% on the previous year and down 7.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) in Ethiopia peaked at 71.72 in 2002 and was at its lowest, 10.51, in 2008.

That places Ethiopia 22nd out of 45 countries with data for 2027, putting it in the middle of the range.

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 Ethiopia, year by year

Annual values for Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, Sixth Edition (BPM6)) in Ethiopia, 2000 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2000 66.75
2001 69.28 +3.8%
2002 71.72 +3.5%
2003 69.79 -2.7%
2004 71.14 +1.9%
2005 47.77 -32.8%
2006 37.11 -22.3%
2007 10.52 -71.7%
2008 10.51 -0.1%
2009 13.9 +32.3%
2010 19.99 +43.9%
2011 22.89 +14.5%
2012 19.12 -16.5%
2013 21.33 +11.5%
2014 22.81 +6.9%
2015 26.23 +15.0%
2016 28.14 +7.3%
2017 29.09 +3.4%
2018 30.63 +5.3%
2019 28.23 -7.8%
2020 28.8 +2.0%
2021 29.05 +0.9%
2022 24.02 -17.3%
2023 18.07 -24.8%
2024 22.82 +26.3%
2025 32.47 +42.3%
2026 29.82 -8.2%
2027 26.84 -10.0%

Ethiopia compared with similar countries

  • Ethiopia's 26.84 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 26.53, 1.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
  • Ethiopia's 26.84 is above the median for low income countries, which is 24.57, 1.1× the median. (19 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 46.85 10.51 71.72 10
2010s 24.85 19.12 30.63 10
2020s 26.49 18.07 32.47 8

Countries ranked near Ethiopia

  1. 19 South Sudan 30.25 compare
  2. 20 Togo 28.89 compare
  3. 21 Kenya 27.06 compare
  4. 23 Zimbabwe 26.53 compare
  5. 24 Guinea-Bissau 25.99 compare
  6. 25 Gabon 25.97 compare

See the full ranking of 64 places →

More external debt data for Ethiopia

All data for Ethiopia →

Frequently asked questions

What is gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) in Ethiopia?
Gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) in Ethiopia was 26.84 in 2027, according to International Monetary Fund.
What is the highest gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) recorded in Ethiopia?
The highest recorded value was 71.72 in 2002.
What is the lowest gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) recorded in Ethiopia?
The lowest recorded value was 10.51 in 2008.
How does Ethiopia rank for gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and)?
Ethiopia ranks 22nd out of 45 countries with data for 2027.
Is gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) rising or falling in Ethiopia?
Over the last ten years it is down 7.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Ethiopia 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 Ethiopia. Statizoid, drawing on International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://debt.statizoid.com/stat/gross-external-debt-percent-of-gdp-balance-of-payments-and-international-investment/ethiopia/

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/ethiopia/">Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) in Ethiopia</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.