External debt stocks, total in Liberia
Liberia: External debt stocks, total was 2.23 billion DOD, current US$ in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
2.23 billion DOD, current US$
Change on year
up 6.1%
World rank
101st
of 122 countries
All-time high
4.19 billion DOD, current US$
in 2006
All-time low
159.15 million DOD, current US$
in 1973
Years of data
55
1970–2024
External debt stocks, total in Liberia, 1970–2024
Source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Measured in DOD, current US$.
Analysis
In 2024, external debt stocks, total in Liberia stood at 2.23 billion DOD, current US$.
That represents a change of up 6.1% on the previous year and up 227.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external debt stocks, total in Liberia peaked at 4.19 billion DOD, current US$ in 2006 and was at its lowest, 159.15 million DOD, current US$, in 1973.
That places Liberia 101st out of 122 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
External debt stocks, total in Liberia, year by year
| Year | DOD, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 162.26 million DOD, current US$ | — |
| 1971 | 162.11 million DOD, current US$ | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 159.38 million DOD, current US$ | -1.7% |
| 1973 | 159.15 million DOD, current US$ | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 161.98 million DOD, current US$ | +1.8% |
| 1975 | 178.68 million DOD, current US$ | +10.3% |
| 1976 | 208.53 million DOD, current US$ | +16.7% |
| 1977 | 292.12 million DOD, current US$ | +40.1% |
| 1978 | 443.07 million DOD, current US$ | +51.7% |
| 1979 | 596.48 million DOD, current US$ | +34.6% |
| 1980 | 685.68 million DOD, current US$ | +15.0% |
| 1981 | 813.44 million DOD, current US$ | +18.6% |
| 1982 | 902.59 million DOD, current US$ | +11.0% |
| 1983 | 1.01 billion DOD, current US$ | +11.5% |
| 1984 | 1.08 billion DOD, current US$ | +7.3% |
| 1985 | 1.25 billion DOD, current US$ | +15.7% |
| 1986 | 1.55 billion DOD, current US$ | +24.0% |
| 1987 | 1.85 billion DOD, current US$ | +19.2% |
| 1988 | 1.82 billion DOD, current US$ | -1.6% |
| 1989 | 1.88 billion DOD, current US$ | +3.3% |
| 1990 | 2.06 billion DOD, current US$ | +9.8% |
| 1991 | 2.19 billion DOD, current US$ | +6.1% |
| 1992 | 2.18 billion DOD, current US$ | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 2.24 billion DOD, current US$ | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 2.37 billion DOD, current US$ | +5.8% |
| 1995 | 2.49 billion DOD, current US$ | +5.1% |
| 1996 | 2.42 billion DOD, current US$ | -2.6% |
| 1997 | 2.41 billion DOD, current US$ | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 2.56 billion DOD, current US$ | +6.4% |
| 1999 | 2.59 billion DOD, current US$ | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 2.84 billion DOD, current US$ | +9.6% |
| 2001 | 3.04 billion DOD, current US$ | +7.0% |
| 2002 | 3.29 billion DOD, current US$ | +8.5% |
| 2003 | 3.63 billion DOD, current US$ | +10.3% |
| 2004 | 3.86 billion DOD, current US$ | +6.3% |
| 2005 | 3.95 billion DOD, current US$ | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 4.19 billion DOD, current US$ | +6.1% |
| 2007 | 3.78 billion DOD, current US$ | -9.9% |
| 2008 | 3.16 billion DOD, current US$ | -16.3% |
| 2009 | 1.85 billion DOD, current US$ | -41.5% |
| 2010 | 418.85 million DOD, current US$ | -77.4% |
| 2011 | 448.51 million DOD, current US$ | +7.1% |
| 2012 | 487.15 million DOD, current US$ | +8.6% |
| 2013 | 531.08 million DOD, current US$ | +9.0% |
| 2014 | 681.67 million DOD, current US$ | +28.4% |
| 2015 | 837.37 million DOD, current US$ | +22.8% |
| 2016 | 949.98 million DOD, current US$ | +13.4% |
| 2017 | 1.12 billion DOD, current US$ | +17.7% |
| 2018 | 1.16 billion DOD, current US$ | +3.5% |
| 2019 | 1.27 billion DOD, current US$ | +9.4% |
| 2020 | 1.46 billion DOD, current US$ | +15.3% |
| 2021 | 1.85 billion DOD, current US$ | +26.6% |
| 2022 | 1.92 billion DOD, current US$ | +4.0% |
| 2023 | 2.11 billion DOD, current US$ | +9.6% |
| 2024 | 2.23 billion DOD, current US$ | +6.1% |
Liberia compared with similar countries
- Liberia's 2.23 billion DOD, current US$ is below the median for low income countries, which is 4.76 billion DOD, current US$, 47% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Liberia's 2.23 billion DOD, current US$ is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.69 billion DOD, current US$, 33% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External debt stocks, total in Liberia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | -77.4% | 1.85 billion DOD, current US$ | 418.85 million DOD, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 252.38 million DOD, current US$ | 159.15 million DOD, current US$ | 596.48 million DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.28 billion DOD, current US$ | 685.68 million DOD, current US$ | 1.88 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.35 billion DOD, current US$ | 2.06 billion DOD, current US$ | 2.59 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.36 billion DOD, current US$ | 1.85 billion DOD, current US$ | 4.19 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 789.65 million DOD, current US$ | 418.85 million DOD, current US$ | 1.27 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.91 billion DOD, current US$ | 1.46 billion DOD, current US$ | 2.23 billion DOD, current US$ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Liberia
- 98 Cape Verde 2.36 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 99 Sierra Leone 2.33 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 100 Botswana 2.32 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 102 Somalia 1.80 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 103 Lesotho 1.77 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 104 Gambia 1.64 billion DOD, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for Liberia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.97 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 6.15 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 74.91 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0157 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 13.35 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 471.54 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 51 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0987 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 84.01 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate -7.86 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external debt stocks, total in Liberia?
- External debt stocks, total in Liberia was 2.23 billion DOD, current US$ in 2024, according to International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest external debt stocks, total recorded in Liberia?
- The highest recorded value was 4.19 billion DOD, current US$ in 2006.
- What is the lowest external debt stocks, total recorded in Liberia?
- The lowest recorded value was 159.15 million DOD, current US$ in 1973.
- How does Liberia rank for external debt stocks, total?
- Liberia ranks 101st out of 122 countries with data for 2024.
- Is external debt stocks, total rising or falling in Liberia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 227.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Liberia data come from?
- The figures come from International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB), published as part of External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Total external debt is debt owed to nonresidents repayable in currency, goods, or services. Total external debt is the sum of public, publicly guaranteed, and private nonguaranteed long-term debt, use of IMF credit, and short-term debt. Short-term debt includes all debt having an original maturity of one year or less and interest in arrears on long-term debt. Data are in current U.S. dollars.