Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding Nigeria and South Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa excluding Nigeria and South Africa: Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) was 28.25 in 2027. ▼ Falling

Latest (2027)
28.25
Change on year
down 2.4%
Rank
6th
of 19 groups
All-time high
60.45
in 2001
All-time low
17.22
in 2012
Years of data
28
2000–2027

Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding Nigeria and South Africa, 2000–2027

20304050602000201320272000: 57.72001: 60.52002: 55.12003: 51.82004: 45.82005: 382006: 25.32007: 22.32008: 18.92009: 21.82010: 18.52011: 18.12012: 17.22013: 19.12014: 20.82015: 25.42016: 28.12017: 28.92018: 29.42019: 31.32020: 36.72021: 34.62022: 31.82023: 32.32024: 31.22025: 30.62026: 28.92027: 28.2

Source: International Monetary Fund.

Analysis

In 2027, gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding Nigeria and South Africa stood at 28.25.

That represents a change of down 2.4% on the previous year and down 2.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding Nigeria and South Africa peaked at 60.45 in 2001 and was at its lowest, 17.22, in 2012.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 28 years of available data.

Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding Nigeria and South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, Sixth Edition (BPM6)) in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding Nigeria and South Africa, 2000 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2000 57.68
2001 60.45 +4.8%
2002 55.15 -8.8%
2003 51.8 -6.1%
2004 45.75 -11.7%
2005 37.99 -17.0%
2006 25.3 -33.4%
2007 22.26 -12.0%
2008 18.94 -14.9%
2009 21.75 +14.9%
2010 18.48 -15.0%
2011 18.06 -2.3%
2012 17.22 -4.6%
2013 19.14 +11.1%
2014 20.76 +8.5%
2015 25.4 +22.4%
2016 28.08 +10.5%
2017 28.9 +2.9%
2018 29.41 +1.8%
2019 31.29 +6.4%
2020 36.69 +17.3%
2021 34.63 -5.6%
2022 31.85 -8.0%
2023 32.32 +1.5%
2024 31.19 -3.5%
2025 30.62 -1.8%
2026 28.93 -5.5%
2027 28.25 -2.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 39.71 18.94 60.45 10
2010s 23.67 17.22 31.29 10
2020s 31.81 28.25 36.69 8

Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa excluding Nigeria and South Africa

  1. 3 Zambia 63.68 compare
  2. 4 Rwanda 61.93 compare
  3. 5 Eritrea 61.73 compare
  4. 6 Cape Verde 61.21 compare
  5. 7 Benin 51.1 compare
  6. 8 Gambia 41.11 compare
  7. 9 Liberia 39.7 compare

See the full ranking of 64 places →

More external debt data for Sub-Saharan Africa excluding Nigeria and South Africa

All data for Sub-Saharan Africa excluding Nigeria and South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding Nigeria and South Africa?
Gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding Nigeria and South Africa was 28.25 in 2027, according to International Monetary Fund.
What is the highest gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding Nigeria and South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 60.45 in 2001.
What is the lowest gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding Nigeria and South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 17.22 in 2012.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa excluding Nigeria and South Africa rank for gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and)?
Sub-Saharan Africa excluding Nigeria and South Africa ranks 6th out of 19 groups with data for 2027.
Is gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding Nigeria and South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa excluding Nigeria and South Africa 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.

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Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding Nigeria and South Africa. 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/sub-saharan-africa-excluding-nigeria-and-south-africa/

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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.