Upper middle income: External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Upper middle income's external debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) rose 0.3% on 2023 (from US$6.34 trillion to US$6.36 trillion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +7.4% and a typical year strayed about 7.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 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 31.8% in 1977 and the biggest yearly fall was 10.1% in 2015. 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 US$240.61 billion a year. A straight line explains 89% 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.

What this measures

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. Short-term debt includes all debt having an original maturity of one year or less and interest in arrears on long-term 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, total (DOD, current US$) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — US$3.34 billion (2024)
• Algeria — US$6.9 billion (2024)
• Djibouti — US$3.46 billion (2024)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — US$155.97 billion (2024)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — US$9.65 billion (2024)
• Iraq — US$17.52 billion (2024)
• Jordan — US$46.97 billion (2024)
• Lebanon — US$67.39 billion (2024)
• Morocco — US$67.99 billion (2024)
• Pakistan

More economic policy & debt data for Upper middle income

• Charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$) — US$95.94 billion (2025)
• Portfolio equity, net inflows (BoP, current US$) — US$27.9 billion (2025)
• Exports of goods and services (current US$) — US$8.68 trillion (2025)
• Exports of goods and services (% of GDP) — 25.88% (2025)
• Imports of goods and services (current US$) — US$7.97 trillion (2025)
• Imports of goods and services (% of GDP) — 23.76% (2025)
• External balance on goods and services (% of GDP) — 2.12% (2025)
• Trade (% of GDP) — 48.9% (2025)
• Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$)

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Questions people ask

What is Upper middle income's external debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$)?

US$6.36 trillion in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 16,819% from US$37.57 billion in 1970 (9.97% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$6.44 trillion in 2021 and the lowest US$37.57 billion in 1970.

Is the latest change in external debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) unusual for Upper middle income?

In 2024, Upper middle income's external debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) rose 0.3% on 2023 (from US$6.34 trillion to US$6.36 trillion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +7.4% and a typical year strayed about 7.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator DT.DOD.DECT.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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