External debt as a share of gni in Zambia

Zambia: External debt as a share of gni was 110.5 in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
110.5
Change on year
up 7.0%
World rank
10th
of 118 countries
All-time high
168.75
in 2000
All-time low
17.81
in 2008
Years of data
24
2000–2023

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

0501001502000201120232000: 168.82001: 157.62002: 165.22003: 144.62004: 129.62005: 69.72006: 19.52007: 21.92008: 17.82009: 24.42010: 22.92011: 23.32012: 24.72013: 24.92014: 36.42015: 59.22016: 77.82017: 96.22018: 95.22019: 128.32020: 167.62021: 133.52022: 103.32023: 110.5

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2023, external debt as a share of gni in Zambia stood at 110.5.

The figure is up 7.0% on the previous year and up 344.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, external debt as a share of gni in Zambia peaked at 168.75 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 17.81, in 2008.

Zambia ranks 10th of 118 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

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

Annual values for External debt as a share of gni in Zambia, 2000 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2000 168.75
2001 157.64 -6.6%
2002 165.24 +4.8%
2003 144.62 -12.5%
2004 129.64 -10.4%
2005 69.74 -46.2%
2006 19.46 -72.1%
2007 21.93 +12.7%
2008 17.81 -18.8%
2009 24.45 +37.3%
2010 22.88 -6.4%
2011 23.33 +2.0%
2012 24.71 +5.9%
2013 24.88 +0.7%
2014 36.39 +46.3%
2015 59.21 +62.7%
2016 77.75 +31.3%
2017 96.17 +23.7%
2018 95.19 -1.0%
2019 128.33 +34.8%
2020 167.6 +30.6%
2021 133.53 -20.3%
2022 103.29 -22.6%
2023 110.5 +7.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 91.93 17.81 168.75 10
2010s 58.88 22.88 128.33 10
2020s 128.73 103.29 167.6 4

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 7 Mauritius 128.35 compare
  2. 8 Bhutan 115.02 compare
  3. 9 Montenegro 113.31 compare
  4. 11 Cape Verde 97.9 compare
  5. 12 Ukraine 96.13 compare
  6. 13 Dominica 91.21 compare

See the full ranking of 118 places →

More economy & growth data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is external debt as a share of gni in Zambia?
External debt as a share of gni in Zambia was 110.5 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest external debt as a share of gni recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 168.75 in 2000.
What is the lowest external debt as a share of gni recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 17.81 in 2008.
How does Zambia rank for external debt as a share of gni?
Zambia ranks 10th out of 118 countries with data for 2023.
Is external debt as a share of gni rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 344.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Zambia 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 Zambia. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/external-debt-as-a-share-of-gni/zambia/

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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