Papua New Guinea: External debt stocks, long-term (DOD, current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Papua New Guinea's external debt stocks, long-term (DOD, current US$) fell 20.4% on 2023 (from US$14.43 billion to US$11.48 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +12% and a typical year strayed about 55.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 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 268.4% in 2010 and the biggest yearly fall was 20.4% in 2024. 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 downward, about US$693.34 million a year. A straight line explains 82% 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, Papua New Guinea had the 54th 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 Papua New Guinea in the 2024 ranking

• Cameroon — 51st of 118: US$12.79 billion
• Armenia — 52nd of 118: US$12.41 billion
• Benin — 53rd of 118: US$11.71 billion
• Honduras — 55th of 118: US$11.46 billion
• Rwanda — 56th of 118: US$11.45 billion
• Azerbaijan — 57th of 118: US$11.29 billion

What this measures

Long-term debt is debt that has an original or extended maturity of more than one year. It has three components: public, publicly guaranteed, and private nonguaranteed debt. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

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

All 55 values

External debt stocks, long-term (DOD, current US$) in nearby economies

• Cambodia — US$16.35 billion (2024)
• China — US$1.07 trillion (2024)
• Fiji — US$2.61 billion (2024)
• Indonesia — US$347.54 billion (2024)
• Lao PDR — US$16.54 billion (2024)
• Mongolia — US$35.38 billion (2024)
• Myanmar — US$9.72 billion (2024)
• Philippines — US$112.43 billion (2024)
• Samoa — US$270.56 million (2024)
• Solomon Islands

More economic policy & debt data for Papua New Guinea

• GDP (current US$) — US$32.5 billion (2025)
• GDP (current LCU) — 133.98 billion (2025)
• GDP (constant 2015 US$) — US$28.68 billion (2025)
• GDP (constant LCU) — 76.24 billion (2025)
• GDP per capita (current US$) — US$3,020 (2025)
• GDP per capita (current LCU) — 12,449 (2025)
• GDP per capita (constant 2015 US$) — US$2,665 (2025)
• GDP per capita (constant LCU) — 7,084 (2025)
• GNI (current US$) — US$30.16 billion (2025)
• GNI (current LCU) — 124.34 billion (2025)
• GNI per capita (current LCU)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Papua New Guinea's external debt stocks, long-term (DOD, current US$)?

US$11.48 billion in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 5,398% from US$208.78 million in 1970 (7.7% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$21.1 billion in 2013 and the lowest US$208.78 million in 1970.

How does Papua New Guinea rank?

54th highest of 118 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in external debt stocks, long-term (DOD, current US$) unusual for Papua New Guinea?

In 2024, Papua New Guinea's external debt stocks, long-term (DOD, current US$) fell 20.4% on 2023 (from US$14.43 billion to US$11.48 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +12% and a typical year strayed about 55.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 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.DLXF.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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