External debt as a share of gni in Nigeria

Nigeria: External debt as a share of gni was 29.04 in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
29.04
Change on year
up 30.9%
World rank
92nd
of 118 countries
All-time high
29.04
in 2023
All-time low
6.3
in 2008
Years of data
16
2008–2023

External debt as a share of gni in Nigeria, 2008–2023

510152025302008201520232008: 6.32009: 8.12010: 8.42011: 8.72012: 8.92013: 8.62014: 8.42015: 9.42016: 112017: 17.72018: 16.92019: 17.52020: 20.52021: 22.32022: 22.22023: 29

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2023, external debt as a share of gni in Nigeria stood at 29.04. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.

The figure is up 30.9% on the previous year and up 236.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, external debt as a share of gni in Nigeria peaked at 29.04 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 6.3, in 2008.

That places Nigeria 92nd out of 118 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.

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

Annual values for External debt as a share of gni in Nigeria, 2008 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2008 6.3
2009 8.11 +28.7%
2010 8.39 +3.5%
2011 8.72 +3.9%
2012 8.89 +1.9%
2013 8.62 -3.0%
2014 8.41 -2.4%
2015 9.37 +11.4%
2016 10.98 +17.2%
2017 17.73 +61.5%
2018 16.92 -4.6%
2019 17.49 +3.4%
2020 20.51 +17.3%
2021 22.28 +8.6%
2022 22.19 -0.4%
2023 29.04 +30.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 7.21 6.3 8.11 2
2010s 11.55 8.39 17.73 10
2020s 23.51 20.51 29.04 4

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 89 Indonesia 30.4 compare
  2. 90 Eswatini 30.01 compare
  3. 91 Malawi 29.19 compare
  4. 93 Brazil 28.8 compare
  5. 94 Guyana 28.33 compare
  6. 95 Comoros 28.17 compare

See the full ranking of 118 places →

More economy & growth data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is external debt as a share of gni in Nigeria?
External debt as a share of gni in Nigeria was 29.04 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest external debt as a share of gni recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 29.04 in 2023.
What is the lowest external debt as a share of gni recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 6.3 in 2008.
How does Nigeria rank for external debt as a share of gni?
Nigeria ranks 92nd out of 118 countries with data for 2023.
Is external debt as a share of gni rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is up 236.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Nigeria 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 Nigeria. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/external-debt-as-a-share-of-gni/nigeria/

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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