WHO WE ARE
Leadership, organization, and history
WHAT WE DO
Projects, products, and services
WHERE WE WORK
Countries and regions
UNDERSTANDING POVERTY
Global data and statistics, research and publications, and topics in poverty and development
WORK WITH US
Jobs, procurement, training, and events
News
The World Bank’s digital platform for live-streaming

A stack of Guatemalan coins

Abstract image of financial data combining numbers and line charts.

Debt

Debt financing is critical for development. When used wisely it can help achieve sustained inclusive growth. We work with client countries to strengthen debt management and help them make more informed borrowing decisions.

Featured

Resources

Debt & Fiscal Risks Toolkit

Explore our one-stop shop for all the tools countries need to manage, record, and assess debt.

vectorcup/Shutterstock
Report

International Debt Report

Debt-service payments are putting the biggest squeeze on poor countries since 2000, according to the latest International Debt Report.

Copyright (c) 2016 PhilipYb Studio/Shutterstock. No use without permission.
Blog

Raising fiscal revenue in times of crisis

Improving countries’ capacity to mobilize resources efficiently will be critical to restore their fiscal and debt sustainability.

Jonathan Ernst/World Bank

Debt At-A-Glance

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, debt was already at record highs in emerging and developing economies. The pandemic is pushing a growing number of these countries into debt distress. Supporting the poorest countries in the fight against COVID-19 is our most urgent priority. We are deploying unprecedented support to enable countries to concentrate their resources on responding to the pandemic.

Overview

Data

Total Debt Service, % of GNI in Low-Income Countries

More Debt Data

Focus Area

Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC)

Launched in 1996, HIPC was designed to ensure that the poorest countries are not overwhelmed by unmanageable or unsustainable debt burdens. To date, 37 participating countries have received over $100 billion in debt relief.

Research & Resources

View All Research

Debt accumulation in recent years

Debt accumulation in recent years

Global debt has surged in recent years, but the seeds were sown long before COVID-19. Between 2011 and 2019, public debt in a sample of 65 developing countries increased by 18 percent of GDP on average—and by much more in several cases. Learn more.

Growing vulnerability to interest rate hikes

Today, much of the debt of developing economies involves variable interest rates—meaning they could rise almost as suddenly as rates on credit-card debt. This has left many countries in a precarious position. Learn more.

Blogs

Experts

Manuella Fransicso

Manuela Francisco

Global Director, Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment

News & Events

What's New

View All What's New

Latest Events

View All Events

In Depth

Report

Debt Transparency in Developing Economies

A World Bank study offers the first comprehensive assessment of the global and national systems for monitoring sovereign debt.

Download the report
Press release
Overview video
World Bank Live Event
Debt Transparency in Developing Economies
Interactive

Debt Heat Maps

How transparent are IDA countries in their debt reporting practices or when issuing domestic debt? Explore our interactive heat maps, which track transparency according to key indicators.

Debt Reporting Heat Map
Domestic Debt Securities Heat Map
Trust Fund

Debt Management Facility (DMF)

The DMF is a multi-donor trust fund that supports the World Bank Group's debt management work in low-income countries.

Countries Eligible for DMF Assistance
Debt Management Facility: A 10-Year Retrospective
Debt Management Facility (DMF)
Trust Fund

Government Debt and Risk Management Program (GDRM)

The GDRM program assists countries in developing sustainable debt and risk management frameworks to reduce vulnerability to financial shocks.
Debt Transparency

Debt Service Suspension Initiative

Explore a detailed country-by-country breakdown of DSSI participants and the amounts they owe to their creditors.

Factsheet
Q&As
Debt Service Suspension Initiative

Work With Us In Debt: Management, Transparency, Statistics and Sustainability | World Bank

Additional Resources

Related Sites

Topics
- Global Economic Prospects

Contact

Washington, DC

Paul Blake

+1-202-480-1588

pblakeiv@worldbankgroup.org