Liberia: Short-term debt (% of total external debt)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Liberia's short-term debt (% of total external debt) fell 0 percentage points on 2023 (from 0.0037% to 0%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −1.2 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 8.19 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 11.57 percentage points in 1978 and the biggest yearly fall was 39.51 percentage points in 2009. 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 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 5% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

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

How it compares

In 2024, Liberia had the 114th highest value of the 118 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 Liberia in the 2024 ranking

• Bhutan — 114th of 118: 0%
• Burkina Faso — 115th of 118: 0%
• Comoros — 116th of 118: 0%
• Tonga — 118th of 118: 0%

What this measures

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.

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

All 55 values

Short-term debt (% of total external debt) in nearby economies

• Angola — 9.89% (2024)
• Benin — 8.97% (2024)
• Botswana — 6.24% (2024)
• Burkina Faso — 0% (2024)
• Burundi — 0.26% (2024)
• Cabo Verde — 16.45% (2024)
• Cameroon — 6.03% (2024)
• Central African Republic — 12.09% (2024)
• Chad — 0.88% (2024)
• Comoros — 0% (2024)

More economic policy & debt data for Liberia

• GDP (current US$) — US$5.25 billion (2025)
• GDP (current LCU) — 5.25 billion (2025)
• GDP (constant 2015 US$) — US$3.92 billion (2025)
• GDP (constant LCU) — 4.19 billion (2025)
• GDP per capita (current US$) — US$915.33 (2025)
• GDP per capita (current LCU) — 915.33 (2025)
• GDP per capita (constant 2015 US$) — US$684.04 (2025)
• GDP per capita (constant LCU) — 731.74 (2025)
• GNI (current US$) — US$4.88 billion (2025)
• GNI (current LCU) — 4.88 billion (2025)
• GNI per capita (current LCU) — 851.82 (2025)

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Questions people ask

What is Liberia's short-term debt (% of total external debt)?

0% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is unchanged since 1970. The highest value was 62.52% in 2006 and the lowest 0% in 1970.

How does Liberia rank?

114th highest of 118 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in short-term debt (% of total external debt) unusual for Liberia?

In 2024, Liberia's short-term debt (% of total external debt) fell 0 percentage points on 2023 (from 0.0037% to 0%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −1.2 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 8.19 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator DT.DOD.DSTC.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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