International Debt Statistics 2015 now available

The 2015 edition of International Debt Statistics (IDS) has just been released. IDS 2015 draws from comprehensive databases of debt statistics collected from 124 low- and middle-income countries, as well as quarterly external and public sector debt from high-income countries.

These databases continue to be a vital input for debt managers and researchers around the world working to improve the management of global capital flows.  Making these resources available to everyone is an important element of the World Bank Group's commitment to open data. Users can easily navigate these online resources to view, graph, and download the debt statistics of countries worldwide.

The publication also features extended analysis of key trends and developments.  Some highlights include:

• Net external debt flows to developing countries rose 28 percent in 2013, driven by a sharp 50 percent increase in short term debt inflows. View this related blog post. 

• Foreign direct investment proved to be resilient, bringing net capital flows (debt and equity) to $1.2 trillion. 

• The combined stock of developing countries' external debt was $5.5 trillion at end 2013, but remained moderate in relation to Gross National Income (GNI), an average of 23 percent, and to exports, an average of 79 percent. 

• Short-term debt constituted 28 percent of debt stock, but risks were mitigated by international reserves, equivalent to 111 percent of external debt stock at end 2013.

• Private creditors accounted for 95 percent of net long-term external debt flows in 2013; $336 billion, divided almost equally between bonds and banks. 

• Nearly two thirds of net long-term external debt flows went to private sector borrowers in developing countries (up from one half in 2012).

• Net debt flows to China surged to $139 billion, quadrupling their 2012 level, and dominated the global trend.  Excluding China, net external debt flows to developing countries were $403 billion, an increase of only 3 percent from the 2012 level.

• Aggregate net capital flows (debt and equity) totaled $1.2 trillion in 2013, up 11 percent from 2012 on account of the surge in net debt flows and resilient foreign direct investment.  Inflows of FDI rose 6 percent to $ 574 billion, and more than offset the 29 percent fall in portfolio equity flows.  Measured relative to developing country gross national income (GNI), aggregate net capital flows were stable at 5 percent.

• Data reported to the Public Sector Database indicate government debt levels in high-income countries continued on an upward trajectory in 2013, despite programs of fiscal austerity and the pact on fiscal discipline. Many of the EU15 economies failed to bring public debt down to a more sustainable level: their government debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio averaged 90 percent, as compared to 87 percent in 2012.

New features of the 2015 IDS include:

• The new overview format now includes charts and brief narratives that provide readers a quick insight to the general data trends found in the Debtor Reporting System. Topics include trends in debt stock and flows, aggregate financial flows to developing countries, and 2013 regional highlight stories. These items are available as a PDF format download under Frontmatter.

• The new Quarterly External Debt Statistics (QEDS) Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) database, which is in line with the classifications and definitions of the 2013 External Debt Statistics: Guide for Compilers and Users (2013 EDS Guide) and Sixth Edition of Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM6). The QEDS SDDS database provides detailed external debt data starting from 1998 Q1. Data are published individually by countries that subscribe to the International Monetary Fund's SDDS database, as well as the General Data Dissemination System (GDDS) participating countries that are in a position to produce the external debt data prescribed by the SDDS.

• An updated version of the ebook.

Access the new IDS 2015 at data.worldbank.org/ids, explore the online dashboard at datatopics.worldbank.org/debt, and access the online dataset via the new multilingual DataBank.

For more information, visit our Knowledge Base or contact the Development Data Group by going to the Support section of the site. You can also view the International Debt Statistics publication page or access International Debt Statistics page in the Open Knowledge Repository.

IDS 2015 is a successor of the World Bank Group's publication, Global Development Finance (2010-2012), Global Development Finance, Volume II (1997 through 2009), and its precursor, World Debt Tables (1973 through 1996).