Short-term debt (% of total external debt) in China
China: Short-term debt (% of total external debt) was 54.0% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Short-term debt in China, 1981–2024
Source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total external debt.
Analysis
In 2024, short-term debt in China stood at 54.0%.
That represents a change of up 2.6% on the previous year and down 22.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, short-term debt in China peaked at 73.2% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1981.
That places China 2nd out of 122 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Short-term debt (% of total external debt) in China, year by year
| Year | % of total external debt | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 0.0% | — |
| 1982 | 27.5% | — |
| 1983 | 41.4% | +50.7% |
| 1984 | 46.3% | +11.8% |
| 1985 | 38.4% | -17.0% |
| 1986 | 25.6% | -33.4% |
| 1987 | 23.3% | -9.2% |
| 1988 | 20.7% | -10.8% |
| 1989 | 15.4% | -25.9% |
| 1990 | 16.8% | +9.6% |
| 1991 | 17.9% | +6.2% |
| 1992 | 19.0% | +6.1% |
| 1993 | 17.8% | -6.4% |
| 1994 | 17.4% | -2.3% |
| 1995 | 18.9% | +8.7% |
| 1996 | 19.7% | +4.3% |
| 1997 | 21.4% | +8.8% |
| 1998 | 12.0% | -43.9% |
| 1999 | 10.2% | -15.2% |
| 2000 | 9.0% | -12.1% |
| 2001 | 30.5% | +240.7% |
| 2002 | 35.4% | +15.9% |
| 2003 | 42.5% | +20.1% |
| 2004 | 46.8% | +10.1% |
| 2005 | 51.9% | +10.8% |
| 2006 | 53.1% | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 53.9% | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 48.4% | -10.2% |
| 2009 | 52.9% | +9.2% |
| 2010 | 69.0% | +30.3% |
| 2011 | 73.2% | +6.1% |
| 2012 | 69.0% | -5.7% |
| 2013 | 72.7% | +5.4% |
| 2014 | 69.7% | -4.2% |
| 2015 | 61.6% | -11.5% |
| 2016 | 56.7% | -8.1% |
| 2017 | 60.2% | +6.3% |
| 2018 | 62.1% | +3.1% |
| 2019 | 57.0% | -8.3% |
| 2020 | 53.1% | -6.8% |
| 2021 | 50.2% | -5.6% |
| 2022 | 50.0% | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 52.6% | +5.2% |
| 2024 | 54.0% | +2.6% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 54.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 11.8%, 4.6× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- China's 54.0% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 15.4%, 3.5× the median. (16 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Short-term debt (% of total external debt) in China 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +240.7% | 9.0% | 30.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 26.5% | 0.0% | 46.3% | 9 |
| 1990s | 17.1% | 10.2% | 21.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 42.5% | 9.0% | 53.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 65.1% | 56.7% | 73.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 52.0% | 50.0% | 54.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
More external debt data for China
- IFC, private nonguaranteed 319.08 million NFL, US$ (2024)
- IFC, private nonguaranteed (NFL, US$), per capita 0.2265 NFL, US$ 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$), per square kilometre 0.6221 NFL, US$ per square kilometre (2023)
- Public and publicly guaranteed debt service 0.4% (2024)
- Net financial flows, IDA -105.01 million NFL, current US$ (2024)
- Net financial flows, IDA (NFL, current US$), per capita -0.0745 NFL, current US$ 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 -596.31 million NFL, current US$ (2024)
- Public and publicly guaranteed debt service 1.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is short-term debt in China?
- Short-term debt in China was 54.0% in 2024, according to International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest short-term debt recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 73.2% in 2011.
- What is the lowest short-term debt recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1981.
- How does China rank for short-term debt?
- China ranks 2nd out of 122 countries with data for 2024.
- Is short-term debt rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB), published as part of Short-term debt (% of total external debt). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Short-term debt includes all debt having an original maturity of one year or less and interest in arrears on long-term debt. Total external debt is debt owed to nonresidents repayable in currency, goods, or services. Total external debt is the sum of public, publicly guaranteed, and private nonguaranteed long-term debt, use of IMF credit, and short-term debt.