Samoa's short-term debt (% of total external debt) was 17.35% in 2024, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 10.43 percentage points from 6.92% in 2014.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 17.35% | 2024 |
| Five years earlier | 5.59% | 2019 |
| Ten years earlier | 6.92% | 2014 |
| Highest | 17.35% | 2024 |
| Lowest | 0% | 1970 |
| Average since 2015 | 9.32% | 2015–2024 |
| First recorded | 0% | 1970 |
What the numbers say
In 2024, Samoa's short-term debt (% of total external debt) rose 2 percentage points on 2023 (from 15.36% to 17.35%).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.51 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.54 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 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 5.52 percentage points in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.73 percentage points in 2018. 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 1.39 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 75% 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, Samoa had the 30th 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Samoa | 17.35% | 2024 |
| Upper middle income | 31.34% | 2024 |
Closest to Samoa in the 2024 ranking
- Egypt, Arab Rep. — 27th of 118: 19.87%
- India — 28th of 118: 19.48%
- Georgia — 29th of 118: 18.8%
- Cabo Verde — 31st of 118: 16.45%
- Jamaica — 32nd of 118: 16.17%
- Indonesia — 33rd of 118: 15.47%
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
| Year | Short-term debt (% of total external debt) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 17.35 |
| 2023 | 15.36 |
| 2022 | 15.15 |
| 2021 | 9.63 |
| 2020 | 7.93 |
| 2019 | 5.59 |
| 2018 | 3.64 |
| 2017 | 6.37 |
| 2016 | 6 |
| 2015 | 6.19 |
| 2014 |
Short-term debt (% of total external debt) in nearby economies
- Cambodia — 20.48% (2024)
- China — 53.97% (2024)
- Fiji — 27.22% (2024)
- Indonesia — 15.47% (2024)
- Lao PDR — 6.15% (2024)
- Mongolia — 6.18% (2024)
- Myanmar — 0.57% (2024)
- Papua New Guinea — 0.94% (2024)
- Philippines — 15.29% (2024)
- Solomon Islands — 4.9% (2024)
More economic policy & debt data for Samoa
- Grants, excluding technical cooperation (BoP, current US$) — US$114.41 million (2023)
- Technical cooperation grants (BoP, current US$) — US$14.69 million (2023)
- Net official development assistance and official aid received (current US$) — US$117.17 million (2023)
- Net official development assistance and official aid received (constant 2023 US$) — US$117.17 million (2023)
- Net official development assistance received (current US$) — US$117.17 million (2023)
- Net official development assistance received (constant 2023 US$) — US$117.17 million (2023)
- Net ODA received per capita (current US$) — US$540.81 (2023)
- Total reserves, including gold (current US$) — US$598.34 million (2025)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Samoa's short-term debt (% of total external debt)?
- 17.35% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1970?
- It is up 17.35 percentage points from 0% in 1970. The highest value was 17.35% in 2024 and the lowest 0% in 1970.
- How does Samoa rank?
- 30th highest of 118 economies with data for 2024.
- Is the latest change in short-term debt (% of total external debt) unusual for Samoa?
- In 2024, Samoa's short-term debt (% of total external debt) rose 2 percentage points on 2023 (from 15.36% to 17.35%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.51 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.54 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 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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