Total debt service (% of GDP) in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Total debt service (% of GDP) was 1.3% in 2011. ▲ Rising
Total debt service in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1970–2011
Source: World Bank, Global Development Finance. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 1.3% for total debt service in 2011.
The figure is up 1.9% on the previous year and down 68.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total debt service in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 4.5% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1970.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Total debt service (% of GDP) in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.1% | — |
| 1972 | 1.7% | +1717.6% |
| 1974 | 1.6% | -4.1% |
| 1975 | 1.8% | +11.2% |
| 1976 | 1.8% | -1.0% |
| 1977 | 1.9% | +4.0% |
| 1978 | 2.0% | +8.3% |
| 1979 | 2.4% | +19.7% |
| 1994 | 4.0% | +64.3% |
| 1995 | 4.5% | +11.6% |
| 1996 | 4.4% | -2.9% |
| 1997 | 4.5% | +3.1% |
| 1998 | 4.3% | -3.8% |
| 1999 | 4.1% | -4.8% |
| 2000 | 3.9% | -4.7% |
| 2001 | 4.1% | +4.0% |
| 2002 | 3.9% | -5.3% |
| 2003 | 2.6% | -33.3% |
| 2004 | 2.1% | -16.8% |
| 2005 | 3.4% | +56.7% |
| 2006 | 3.1% | -7.6% |
| 2007 | 2.1% | -32.2% |
| 2008 | 1.6% | -25.1% |
| 2009 | 1.5% | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 1.3% | -16.7% |
| 2011 | 1.3% | +1.9% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Total debt service (% of GDP) in Sub-Saharan Africa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | +1717.6% | 0.1% | 1.7% |
| 1994 | +64.3% | 2.4% | 4.0% |
| 2005 | +56.7% | 2.1% | 3.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.7% | 0.1% | 2.4% | 8 |
| 1990s | 4.3% | 4.0% | 4.5% | 6 |
| 2000s | 2.8% | 1.5% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More external debt data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Net financial flows, IBRD 2.31 billion NFL, current US$ (2025)
- IFC, private nonguaranteed (NFL, US$), per capita 0.4575 NFL, US$ per person (2024)
- IFC, private nonguaranteed (NFL, US$), per unit of GDP 0.0003 NFL, US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Net financial flows, IDA 9.94 billion NFL, current US$ (2025)
- IFC, private nonguaranteed (NFL, US$), per square kilometre 34.76 NFL, US$ per square kilometre (2023)
- Net financial flows, IDA (NFL, current US$), per capita 8.92 NFL, current US$ per person (2024)
- Net financial flows, IDA (NFL, current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0058 NFL, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Net financial flows, IDA (NFL, current US$), per square kilometre 432.4 NFL, current US$ per square kilometre (2023)
- Net financial flows, IDA (NFL, current US$), annual growth rate 11.36 % change on previous year (2024)
- Net financial flows, IBRD (NFL, current US$), annual growth rate 209.31 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total debt service in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Total debt service in Sub-Saharan Africa was 1.3% in 2011, according to World Bank, Global Development Finance.
- What is the highest total debt service recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 4.5% in 1997.
- What is the lowest total debt service recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1970.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for total debt service?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 4th out of 6 groups with data for 2011.
- Is total debt service rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 68.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan 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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About this data
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.