Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) was 26.53 in 2027. ▲ Rising
Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) in Zimbabwe, 2000–2027
Source: International Monetary Fund.
Analysis
Zimbabwe recorded 26.53 for gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) in 2027.
That represents a change of down 1.8% on the previous year and down 6.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) in Zimbabwe peaked at 43.07 in 2008 and was at its lowest, 17.58, in 2018.
That places Zimbabwe 23rd out of 45 countries with data for 2027, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Gross external debt, Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and) in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 18.48 | — |
| 2001 | 19.73 | +6.7% |
| 2002 | 22.27 | +12.9% |
| 2003 | 26.89 | +20.8% |
| 2004 | 28.15 | +4.7% |
| 2005 | 27.55 | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 32.11 | +16.6% |
| 2007 | 35.79 | +11.5% |
| 2008 | 43.07 | +20.3% |
| 2009 | 39.73 | -7.7% |
| 2010 | 33.18 | -16.5% |
| 2011 | 30.02 | -9.5% |
| 2012 | 26.23 | -12.6% |
| 2013 | 25.17 | -4.0% |
| 2014 | 25.81 | +2.5% |
| 2015 | 27.77 | +7.6% |
| 2016 | 27.33 | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 28.46 | +4.1% |
| 2018 | 17.58 | -38.2% |
| 2019 | 24.16 | +37.4% |
| 2020 | 34.37 | +42.3% |
| 2021 | 32.01 | -6.9% |
| 2022 | 33.62 | +5.0% |
| 2023 | 37.27 | +10.9% |
| 2024 | 31.18 | -16.3% |
| 2025 | 28.47 | -8.7% |
| 2026 | 27.01 | -5.1% |
| 2027 | 26.53 | -1.8% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 26.53 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 26.53, 1.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 26.53 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 30.44, 87% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 29.38 | 18.48 | 43.07 | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.57 | 17.58 | 33.18 | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.31 | 26.53 | 37.27 | 8 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More external debt data for Zimbabwe
- IFC, private nonguaranteed 0 NFL, US$ (2024)
- IFC, private nonguaranteed (NFL, US$), per capita 0 NFL, US$ per person (2024)
- IFC, private nonguaranteed (NFL, US$), per unit of GDP 0 NFL, US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- IFC, private nonguaranteed (NFL, US$), per square kilometre 0 NFL, US$ per square kilometre (2023)
- Public and publicly guaranteed debt service 0.2% (2024)
- Net financial flows, IDA -43,000 NFL, current US$ (2024)
- Net financial flows, IDA (NFL, current US$), per capita -0.0026 NFL, current US$ per person (2024)
- Net financial flows, IDA (NFL, current US$), per unit of GDP -0 NFL, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Net financial flows, IBRD -750,000 NFL, current US$ (2024)
- Public and publicly guaranteed debt service 1.1% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) in Zimbabwe?
- Gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) in Zimbabwe was 26.53 in 2027, according to International Monetary Fund.
- What is the highest gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 43.07 in 2008.
- What is the lowest gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.58 in 2018.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and)?
- Zimbabwe ranks 23rd out of 45 countries with data for 2027.
- Is gross external debt, percent of gdp (balance of payments and) rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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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About this data
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.