Short-term debt in Zambia

Zambia: Short-term debt was 9.9% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
9.9%
Change on year
down 15.3%
World rank
56th
of 121 countries
All-time high
27.7%
in 1977
All-time low
1.3%
in 2003
Years of data
55
1970–2024

Short-term debt in Zambia, 1970–2024

0102030197019972024

Source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total external debt.

Analysis

Zambia recorded 9.9% for short-term debt in 2024.

The figure is down 15.3% on the previous year and up 17.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, short-term debt in Zambia peaked at 27.7% in 1977 and was at its lowest, 1.3%, in 2003.

Zambia ranks 56th of 121 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Short-term debt in Zambia, year by year

Annual values for Short-term debt (% of total external debt) in Zambia, 1970 to 2024.
Year % of total external debt Change
1970 19.7%
1971 19.6% -0.4%
1972 19.6% +0.1%
1973 19.5% -0.5%
1974 19.6% +0.3%
1975 19.7% +0.7%
1976 19.7% +0.1%
1977 27.7% +40.4%
1978 25.2% -9.0%
1979 21.4% -15.0%
1980 18.0% -15.9%
1981 16.9% -6.1%
1982 17.7% +4.5%
1983 13.6% -23.0%
1984 11.9% -12.8%
1985 14.9% +25.8%
1986 18.5% +23.6%
1987 17.7% -4.1%
1988 21.5% +21.4%
1989 23.6% +10.0%
1990 20.5% -13.5%
1991 19.3% -5.8%
1992 19.9% +3.2%
1993 20.0% +0.6%
1994 11.9% -40.6%
1995 6.0% -49.9%
1996 6.7% +13.2%
1997 3.9% -42.6%
1998 4.8% +23.3%
1999 1.8% -61.4%
2000 1.3% -28.8%
2001 2.3% +73.5%
2002 1.4% -39.7%
2003 1.3% -5.6%
2004 1.8% +40.0%
2005 4.4% +140.7%
2006 18.8% +331.1%
2007 20.2% +7.1%
2008 22.1% +9.5%
2009 12.3% -44.5%
2010 26.6% +117.2%
2011 10.1% -61.9%
2012 13.3% +31.0%
2013 11.2% -15.5%
2014 8.5% -24.5%
2015 6.0% -29.2%
2016 4.8% -19.5%
2017 3.8% -21.5%
2018 2.5% -33.4%
2019 2.9% +13.0%
2020 2.5% -13.4%
2021 5.3% +112.7%
2022 9.6% +82.4%
2023 11.7% +22.3%
2024 9.9% -15.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 21.2% 19.5% 27.7% 10
1980s 17.4% 11.9% 23.6% 10
1990s 11.5% 1.8% 20.5% 10
2000s 8.6% 1.3% 22.1% 10
2010s 9.0% 2.5% 26.6% 10
2020s 7.8% 2.5% 11.7% 5

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 53 Côte d'Ivoire 10.6% compare
  2. 54 Mexico 10.3% compare
  3. 55 Sri Lanka 10.2% compare
  4. 57 Angola 9.9% compare
  5. 58 Congo 9.8% compare
  6. 59 Senegal 9.7% compare

See the full ranking of 133 places →

More external debt data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is short-term debt in Zambia?
Short-term debt in Zambia was 9.9% in 2024, according to International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB).
What is the highest short-term debt recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 27.7% in 1977.
What is the lowest short-term debt recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 1.3% in 2003.
How does Zambia rank for short-term debt?
Zambia ranks 56th out of 121 countries with data for 2024.
Is short-term debt rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Zambia 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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Short-term debt in Zambia. Statizoid, drawing on International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://debt.statizoid.com/stat/short-term-debt-percent-of-total-external-debt/zambia/

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About this data

Indicator
Short-term debt (% of total external debt)
Unit
% of total external debt
Source
International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
133 places, 6,524 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

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.