Mozambique: Net incurrence of liabilities, total (% of GDP)

Key figures

Over five years it is up 0.18 percentage points from 4.75% in 2019. Since 2010 it is down 0.31 percentage points from 5.24% in 2010. The World Bank has no value for 2 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2024, Mozambique's net incurrence of liabilities, total (% of GDP) rose 5.54 percentage points on 2023 (from -0.62% to 4.93%).

Across the 10 yearly changes before that (2011 to 2023), the average change was −0.49 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.3 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.6 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 5.54 percentage points in 2024 and the biggest yearly fall was 3.88 percentage points in 2023. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.48 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 32% of the movement over 9 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, Mozambique had the 21st highest value of the 55 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 Mozambique in the 2024 ranking

• Canada — 17th of 55: 5.05%
• Namibia — 18th of 55: 5.01%
• Solomon Islands — 19th of 55: 4.96%
• Fiji — 21st of 55: 4.9%
• Philippines — 22nd of 55: 4.83%
• Hungary — 23rd of 55: 4.3%

What this measures

Net incurrence of government liabilities includes foreign financing (obtained from nonresidents) and domestic financing (obtained from residents), or the means by which a government provides financial resources to cover a budget deficit or allocates financial resources arising from a budget surplus. The net incurrence of liabilities should be offset by the net acquisition of financial assets. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.

Limitations: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

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

All 13 values

Net incurrence of liabilities, total (% of GDP) in nearby economies

• Angola — -0.75% (2024)
• Botswana — 3.14% (2023)
• Burkina Faso — 6.42% (2024)
• Burundi — 2.23% (2021)
• Cabo Verde — 9.31% (2020)
• Cameroon — 2.38% (2021)
• Central African Republic — 3.63% (2021)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 0.98% (2022)
• Congo, Rep. — 1.45% (2021)
• Côte d'Ivoire

More public sector data for Mozambique

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 468.06 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 29.88 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 1.87% (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 6% (2025)
• Armed forces personnel, total — 11,000 (2020)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.08% (2020)
• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 14 million (2025)
• CPIA business regulatory environment rating (1=low to 6=high) — 3 (2025)
• CPIA debt policy rating (1=low to 6=high) — 2 (2025)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Mozambique's net incurrence of liabilities, total (% of GDP)?

4.93% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2010?

It is down 0.31 percentage points from 5.24% in 2010. The highest value was 7.68% in 2020 and the lowest -0.62% in 2023.

How does Mozambique rank?

21st highest of 55 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in net incurrence of liabilities, total (% of GDP) unusual for Mozambique?

In 2024, Mozambique's net incurrence of liabilities, total (% of GDP) rose 5.54 percentage points on 2023 (from -0.62% to 4.93%). Across the 10 yearly changes before that (2011 to 2023), the average change was −0.49 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.3 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.6 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator GC.LBL.TOTL.GD.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) 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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