Nepal: Total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and primary income)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Nepal's total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and primary income) rose 0.53 percentage points on 2023 (from 11.87% to 12.39%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.11 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.35 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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 5.04 percentage points in 1989 and the biggest yearly fall was 3.82 percentage points in 1979. 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 0.45 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 56% 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, Nepal had the 58th highest value of the 109 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 Nepal in the 2024 ranking

• Guinea-Bissau — 54th of 109: 13.26%
• Morocco — 55th of 109: 12.93%
• Cabo Verde — 56th of 109: 12.62%
• Tanzania — 58th of 109: 12.09%
• Ethiopia — 59th of 109: 11.54%
• Azerbaijan — 60th of 109: 11.39%

What this measures

Total debt service to exports of goods, services and primary income. 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 49 values

Total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and primary income) in nearby economies

• Bangladesh — 15.77% (2024)
• Bhutan — 16.58% (2024)
• India — 10.49% (2024)
• Maldives — 9.18% (2024)
• Sri Lanka — 23.71% (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

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Questions people ask

What is Nepal's total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and primary income)?

12.39% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1976?

It is up 11.28 percentage points from 1.11% in 1976. The highest value was 16.1% in 1989 and the lowest 1.11% in 1976.

How does Nepal rank?

58th highest of 109 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and primary income) unusual for Nepal?

In 2024, Nepal's total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and primary income) rose 0.53 percentage points on 2023 (from 11.87% to 12.39%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.11 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.35 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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.TDS.DECT.EX.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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