The latest analyses in the International Debt Report 2023 (IDR2023), published on December 13, 2023, suggest there is considerable risk of an intensifying debt crisis, with slowing growth and tight monetary policy putting additional pressure on low- and middle-income countries, many of which face the risk of a pronounced funding squeeze.
Debt service payments in 2022 were at the highest level in history and will remain significant across developing countries for the foreseeable future. The rise in debt service burdens was greatest in low-income countries and could create significant spending challenges at a time when budgets are already strained.
The data behind the story
The IDR publication draws from the IDS database, which is publicly available and contains data on more than 130 debtor countries, regions, and income classifications; more than 300 creditor countries and multilateral agencies; and more than 500 indicators. And all of the data span more than 60 years.
Even better, all this data is easy to obtain, even for those unfamiliar with the database.
There are multiple ways to access the IDS database. Users can:
Browse the readily available statistical tables, which show curated data across countries by topic and indicator
Download the Excel version of the IDR charts and tables
Explore the dashboard version of the IDR country and aggregate pages
Request data through the World Bank API
And perhaps the most straightforward way – view and download the data from the World Bank’s DataBank. DataBank is an analysis and visualization site that contains collections of time-series data on a variety of topics. Users can create their own queries; generate tables, charts, and maps; and easily save, embed, and share them.
For more on how to view IDS debt data, click on the video below. By selecting just a few parameters, users can recreate the figures published in the IDR, pull numbers for data-driven stories, and better understand macroeconomic trends.
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