Total debt service in Africa

Africa: Total debt service was 1.5% in 2011. ▼ Falling

Latest (2011)
1.5%
Change on year
up 0.4%
Rank
3rd
of 6 groups
All-time high
8.4%
in 1985
All-time low
0.1%
in 1970
Years of data
42
1970–2011

Total debt service in Africa, 1970–2011

024681970199020111970: 0.131 % of GDP1971: 2.1 % of GDP1972: 2.3 % of GDP1973: 2.8 % of GDP1974: 2.3 % of GDP1975: 2.1 % of GDP1976: 2.2 % of GDP1977: 2.7 % of GDP1978: 3.2 % of GDP1979: 3.9 % of GDP1980: 5.4 % of GDP1981: 6 % of GDP1982: 6.5 % of GDP1983: 7.3 % of GDP1984: 8.2 % of GDP1985: 8.4 % of GDP1986: 7.4 % of GDP1987: 6.3 % of GDP1988: 7.5 % of GDP1989: 7.5 % of GDP1990: 7.9 % of GDP1991: 8.2 % of GDP1992: 8.4 % of GDP1993: 7.8 % of GDP1994: 5.6 % of GDP1995: 5.5 % of GDP1996: 5.1 % of GDP1997: 5 % of GDP1998: 4.9 % of GDP1999: 4.8 % of GDP2000: 4.4 % of GDP2001: 4.4 % of GDP2002: 4.5 % of GDP2003: 3.6 % of GDP2004: 3.1 % of GDP2005: 3.7 % of GDP2006: 4.2 % of GDP2007: 2.3 % of GDP2008: 1.8 % of GDP2009: 1.7 % of GDP2010: 1.4 % of GDP2011: 1.5 % of GDP

Source: World Bank, Global Development Finance. Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

The most recent figure for total debt service in Africa is 1.5%, measured in 2011.

The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and down 66.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, total debt service in Africa peaked at 8.4% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1970.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 42 years of available data.

Total debt service in Africa, year by year

Annual values for Total debt service (% of GDP) in Africa, 1970 to 2011.
Year % of GDP Change
1970 0.1%
1971 2.1% +1492.8%
1972 2.3% +12.8%
1973 2.8% +19.7%
1974 2.3% -17.1%
1975 2.1% -10.5%
1976 2.2% +6.5%
1977 2.7% +20.7%
1978 3.2% +18.0%
1979 3.9% +23.8%
1980 5.4% +37.6%
1981 6.0% +11.5%
1982 6.5% +7.5%
1983 7.3% +12.8%
1984 8.2% +12.6%
1985 8.4% +2.9%
1986 7.4% -11.8%
1987 6.3% -15.3%
1988 7.5% +18.4%
1989 7.5% +0.4%
1990 7.9% +5.5%
1991 8.2% +4.3%
1992 8.4% +2.2%
1993 7.8% -7.4%
1994 5.6% -28.1%
1995 5.5% -1.6%
1996 5.1% -7.3%
1997 5.0% -1.7%
1998 4.9% -3.4%
1999 4.8% -1.3%
2000 4.4% -8.8%
2001 4.4% +0.2%
2002 4.5% +1.8%
2003 3.6% -18.5%
2004 3.1% -14.6%
2005 3.7% +20.3%
2006 4.2% +12.6%
2007 2.3% -44.5%
2008 1.8% -22.3%
2009 1.7% -5.6%
2010 1.4% -15.3%
2011 1.5% +0.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 2.4% 0.1% 3.9% 10
1980s 7.1% 5.4% 8.4% 10
1990s 6.3% 4.8% 8.4% 10
2000s 3.4% 1.7% 4.5% 10
2010s 1.5% 1.4% 1.5% 2

Countries ranked near Africa

  1. 1 Zimbabwe 11.8% compare
  2. 2 Tunisia 5.7% compare
  3. 3 Djibouti 3.4% compare
  4. 4 Guinea 3.4% compare
  5. 5 Seychelles 3.3% compare
  6. 6 Morocco 3.2% compare

See the full ranking of 56 places →

More external debt data for Africa

All data for Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is total debt service in Africa?
Total debt service in Africa was 1.5% in 2011, according to World Bank, Global Development Finance.
What is the highest total debt service recorded in Africa?
The highest recorded value was 8.4% in 1985.
What is the lowest total debt service recorded in Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1970.
How does Africa rank for total debt service?
Africa ranks 3rd out of 6 groups with data for 2011.
Is total debt service rising or falling in Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 66.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Africa data come from?
The figures come from World Bank, Global Development Finance, published as part of Total debt service (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Total debt service in Africa. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank, Global Development Finance. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://debt.statizoid.com/stat/total-debt-service-percent-of-gdp/africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Total debt service (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
World Bank, Global Development Finance
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
56 places, 2,088 data points, 1970–2011
Last refreshed

Total debt service is the sum of principal repayments and interest actually paid in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt, interest paid on short-term debt, and repayments (repurchases and charges) to the IMF.