External debt as a share of gni in China

China: External debt as a share of gni was 13.72 in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
13.72
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
111th
of 118 countries
All-time high
16.95
in 2014
All-time low
8.36
in 2008
Years of data
24
2000–2023

External debt as a share of gni in China, 2000–2023

0510152000201120232000: 12.22001: 142002: 12.72003: 12.62004: 12.72005: 12.62006: 11.92007: 10.62008: 8.42009: 8.92010: 12.22011: 14.12012: 13.52013: 15.62014: 16.92015: 12.12016: 12.72017: 13.92018: 14.22019: 14.82020: 162021: 15.42022: 13.82023: 13.7

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for external debt as a share of gni in China is 13.72, measured in 2023.

The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 12.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, external debt as a share of gni in China peaked at 16.95 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 8.36, in 2008.

China ranks 111th of 118 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.

External debt as a share of gni in China, year by year

Annual values for External debt as a share of gni in China, 2000 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2000 12.19
2001 13.96 +14.5%
2002 12.74 -8.7%
2003 12.56 -1.4%
2004 12.68 +1.0%
2005 12.59 -0.7%
2006 11.88 -5.6%
2007 10.62 -10.6%
2008 8.36 -21.3%
2009 8.92 +6.7%
2010 12.25 +37.3%
2011 14.09 +15.0%
2012 13.49 -4.3%
2013 15.6 +15.6%
2014 16.95 +8.7%
2015 12.12 -28.5%
2016 12.65 +4.4%
2017 13.92 +10.0%
2018 14.18 +1.9%
2019 14.85 +4.7%
2020 15.97 +7.5%
2021 15.4 -3.6%
2022 13.81 -10.3%
2023 13.72 -0.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 11.65 8.36 13.96 10
2010s 14.01 12.12 16.95 10
2020s 14.73 13.72 15.97 4

Countries ranked near China

  1. 108 Myanmar 18.57 compare
  2. 109 India 18.4 compare
  3. 110 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 17.21 compare
  4. 112 Haiti 13.28 compare
  5. 113 Timor-Leste 12.62 compare
  6. 114 Botswana 10.69 compare

See the full ranking of 118 places →

More economy & growth data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is external debt as a share of gni in China?
External debt as a share of gni in China was 13.72 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest external debt as a share of gni recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 16.95 in 2014.
What is the lowest external debt as a share of gni recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 8.36 in 2008.
How does China rank for external debt as a share of gni?
China ranks 111th out of 118 countries with data for 2023.
Is external debt as a share of gni rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 12.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of External debt as a share of gni. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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External debt as a share of gni in China. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/external-debt-as-a-share-of-gni/china/

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About this data

Indicator
External debt as a share of gni
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
118 places, 2,741 data points, 2000–2023
Last refreshed