China: Total debt service (% of GNI)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, China's total debt service (% of GNI) fell 0.59 percentage points on 2023 (from 2.48% to 1.9%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.01 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.31 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.9 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 0.63 percentage points in 1999 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.06 percentage points in 2004. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.11 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 68% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, China had the 94th highest value of the 117 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to China in the 2024 ranking

• Guinea — 91st of 117: 1.94%
• Central African Republic — 92nd of 117: 1.94%
• Chad — 93rd of 117: 1.91%
• Vanuatu — 95th of 117: 1.88%
• Bangladesh — 96th of 117: 1.83%
• Guinea-Bissau — 97th of 117: 1.77%

What this measures

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.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 44 values

Total debt service (% of GNI) in nearby economies

• Cambodia — 7.41% (2024)
• Fiji — 4.36% (2024)
• Indonesia — 5.64% (2024)
• Lao PDR — 13.84% (2024)
• Mongolia — 25.65% (2024)
• Myanmar — 1.31% (2024)
• Papua New Guinea — 20.36% (2024)
• Philippines — 3.45% (2024)
• Samoa — 3.15% (2024)
• Solomon Islands — 1.64% (2024)
• Thailand — 3.51% (2024)

More economic policy & debt data for China

• Exports of goods and services (current US$) — US$4.11 trillion (2025)
• Exports of goods and services (current LCU) — 29.54 trillion (2025)
• Exports of goods and services (% of GDP) — 21.07% (2025)
• Imports of goods and services (current US$) — US$3.29 trillion (2025)
• Imports of goods and services (current LCU) — 23.67 trillion (2025)
• Imports of goods and services (% of GDP) — 16.89% (2025)
• External balance on goods and services (current US$) — US$816.19 billion (2025)
• External balance on goods and services (current LCU) — 5.87 trillion (2025)
• External balance on goods and services (% of GDP) — 4.19% (2025)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is China's total debt service (% of GNI)?

1.9% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1981?

It is up 1.01 percentage points from 0.89% in 1981. The highest value was 2.49% in 2022 and the lowest 0.71% in 2008.

How does China rank?

94th highest of 117 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in total debt service (% of GNI) unusual for China?

In 2024, China's total debt service (% of GNI) fell 0.59 percentage points on 2023 (from 2.48% to 1.9%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.01 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.31 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.9 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Where does this data come from?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator DT.TDS.DECT.GN.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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