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Pictorial representation of the focus area - Debt
FISCAL POLICY AND GROWTH

Debt

Debt financing is critical for development. But debt must be transparent, well-managed, and used in the context of a sound growth strategy. When public debt becomes too high, it can slow down progress and hurt the most vulnerable citizens. It can discourage private investment, put a strain on spending on social services and infrastructure, and make it hard for governments to implement reforms.
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OUR APPROACH TO
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DEBT
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Context
/content/worldbank/ext/en/topic/economic-policy/debt/fragments/debt-context
Strategy
/content/worldbank/ext/en/topic/economic-policy/debt/fragments/debt-strategy
RESULTS & IMPACT
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ON DEBT
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88 million
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young people lived in countries facing the triple challenge of low revenues, high debt service, and elevated risks of debt distress in 2024.
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25%
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of low-income countries disclose loan-level data on new debt. Transparency is improving, but not fast enough.
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30,000
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students are expected to benefit from investments made possible by a debt-for-development swap transaction in Côte d'Ivoire supported by the World Bank Group.
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Debt Vulnerabilities in Low-Income Countries: Recent Developments and Trends
https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099103025213537177/pdf/BOSIB-997ddcdc-59d7-44d4-987b-3e19e015ca3e.pdf
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Radical Debt Transparency Report
https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/2025-debt-transparency-report
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Swapping Debt for Development
https://www.worldbank.org/en/who-we-are/news/campaigns/2024/debt-swap-cote-divoire
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RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS

More Research & Publications
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/search?query=Debt
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DASHBOARD
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Debt Heat Maps Dashboard
Debt Heat Maps
This heat map assesses IDA countries’ transparency in debt reporting. It is based on the availability, completeness, and timeliness of publicly posted debt statistics and debt management documents. It is updated annually.
https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/debt/brief/debt-transparency-report/2025
Access the Dashboard
https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/debt/brief/debt-transparency-report/2025
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DASHBOARD
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Debt Management Monitor
Debt Management Monitor
Using the interactive dashboard of the Debt Management Monitor, you can select one or more countries to review macroeconomic, debt sustainability and debt management profiles. You can filter by regions, or switch between selected countries using the dropdown menu.
https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/debt-management-monitor
Access the Dashboard
https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/debt-management-monitor
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MORE ON
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DEBT
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Debt Management Facility in Action
https://worldbank.scene7.com/s7viewers/html5/VideoViewer.html?asset=worldbankprod/DMF-Best-2025-AVS&config=worldbankprod/Video&serverUrl=https://worldbank.scene7.com/is/image/&contenturl=https://worldbank.scene7.com/is/content/&posterimage=worldbankprod/DMF-Best-2025-AVS&videoserverurl=https://worldbank.scene7.com/is/content
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Debt Management Facility
See all Videos
https://www.youtube.com/WorldBank/search
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Global Hub on Debt-for-Development Swaps
https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/debt-for-development-swap-knowledge-hub
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Global Hub on Debt-for-Development Swaps
See all Research & Publications
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/search?query=early%20childhood%20development&f.topic=Macroeconomics%20and%20Economic%20Growth,equals&spc.page=1
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Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable
https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/debt/brief/the-global-sovereign-debt-roundtable-gsdr
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Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable
See all Events
https://live.worldbank.org/en/search?qterm=debt
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Fiscal Policy and Growth

Poverty reduction, social equity, and sustainable growth are only possible with sound monetary and fiscal policies. The World Bank supports countries in the design and implementation of economic reforms to strengthen macroeconomic stability.

Explore our Fiscal Policy and Growth Investments

EXPLORE FISCAL POLICY AND GROWTH FOCUS AREAS
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