Nepal's external debt stocks, short-term (DOD, current US$) was US$422.88 million in 2024, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 27.03% from US$332.89 million in 2014 (2.42% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | US$422.88 million | 2024 |
| Five years earlier | US$402.85 million | 2019 |
| Ten years earlier | US$332.89 million | 2014 |
| Highest | US$422.88 million | 2024 |
| Lowest | US$5.5 million | 1992 |
| Average since 2015 | US$366.15 million | 2015–2024 |
| First recorded | US$23 million |
What the numbers say
In 2024, Nepal's external debt stocks, short-term (DOD, current US$) rose 1.3% on 2023 (from US$417.54 million to US$422.88 million).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +20.3% and a typical year strayed about 52.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 standard deviations below 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 276.5% in 1993 and the biggest yearly fall was 78.3% in 1992. 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, Nepal had the 74th 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.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Nepal | US$422.88 million | 2024 |
| South Asia | US$158.91 billion | 2024 |
| Lower middle income | US$391.26 billion | 2024 |
Closest to Nepal in the 2024 ranking
- Rwanda — 71st of 118: US$500.84 million
- Congo, Dem. Rep. — 72nd of 118: US$476.02 million
- Afghanistan — 73rd of 118: US$442.6 million
- Cabo Verde — 75th of 118: US$388.09 million
- Guinea — 76th of 118: US$377.76 million
- Ethiopia — 77th of 118: US$351.67 million
What this measures
Short-term external debt is defined as debt that has an original maturity of one year or less. Available data permit no distinction between public and private nonguaranteed short-term debt. Data are in current U.S. dollars.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.
All 48 values
| Year | External debt stocks, short-term (DOD, current US$) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 422,881,000 |
| 2023 | 417,537,000 |
| 2022 | 321,882,000 |
| 2021 | 335,046,000 |
| 2020 | 360,500,000 |
| 2019 | 402,852,000 |
| 2018 | 251,619,000 |
| 2017 | 421,210,000 |
| 2016 | 378,505,000 |
| 2015 | 349,434,000 |
External debt stocks, short-term (DOD, current US$) in nearby economies
- Bangladesh — US$12.95 billion (2024)
- Bhutan — US$0 (2024)
- India — US$139.57 billion (2024)
- Maldives — US$159.81 million (2024)
- Sri Lanka — US$5.82 billion (2024)
More economic policy & debt data for Nepal
- Total reserves, including gold (current US$) — US$21.1 billion (2025)
- Total reserves, excluding gold (current US$) — US$19.98 billion (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$) — US$24.73 billion (2025)
- Services, value added (current LCU) — 3.37 trillion (2025)
- Services, value added (% of GDP) — 54.37% (2025)
- Gross Value Added (GVA) at basic prices (current US$) — US$40.02 billion (2025)
- Gross Value Added (GVA) at basic prices (current LCU) — 5.45 trillion (2025)
- GDP (current US$) — US$45.49 billion (2025)
- GDP (current LCU) — 6.2 trillion (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$) — US$36.54 billion (2025)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Nepal's external debt stocks, short-term (DOD, current US$)?
- US$422.88 million in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1977?
- It is up 1,739% from US$23 million in 1977 (6.39% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$422.88 million in 2024 and the lowest US$5.5 million in 1992.
- How does Nepal rank?
- 74th highest of 118 economies with data for 2024.
- Is the latest change in external debt stocks, short-term (DOD, current US$) unusual for Nepal?
- In 2024, Nepal's external debt stocks, short-term (DOD, current US$) rose 1.3% on 2023 (from US$417.54 million to US$422.88 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +20.3% and a typical year strayed about 52.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 standard deviations below 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.CD, 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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