External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) in Nepal
Nepal: External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) was 11.87 billion DOD, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External debt stocks, total in Nepal, 1970–2025
Source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Measured in DOD, current US$.
Analysis
The most recent figure for external debt stocks, total in Nepal is 11.87 billion DOD, current US$, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
That represents a change of up 12.3% on the previous year and up 186.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external debt stocks, total in Nepal peaked at 11.87 billion DOD, current US$ in 2025 and was at its lowest, 3.80 million DOD, current US$, in 1970.
Nepal ranks 69th of 123 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) in Nepal, year by year
| Year | DOD, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3.80 million DOD, current US$ | — |
| 1971 | 9.16 million DOD, current US$ | +140.9% |
| 1972 | 12.30 million DOD, current US$ | +34.4% |
| 1973 | 20.10 million DOD, current US$ | +63.4% |
| 1974 | 27.55 million DOD, current US$ | +37.1% |
| 1975 | 34.02 million DOD, current US$ | +23.5% |
| 1976 | 49.58 million DOD, current US$ | +45.7% |
| 1977 | 100.53 million DOD, current US$ | +102.8% |
| 1978 | 112.58 million DOD, current US$ | +12.0% |
| 1979 | 146.35 million DOD, current US$ | +30.0% |
| 1980 | 204.46 million DOD, current US$ | +39.7% |
| 1981 | 278.43 million DOD, current US$ | +36.2% |
| 1982 | 352.78 million DOD, current US$ | +26.7% |
| 1983 | 452.41 million DOD, current US$ | +28.2% |
| 1984 | 470.29 million DOD, current US$ | +4.0% |
| 1985 | 589.79 million DOD, current US$ | +25.4% |
| 1986 | 743.79 million DOD, current US$ | +26.1% |
| 1987 | 985.84 million DOD, current US$ | +32.5% |
| 1988 | 1.17 billion DOD, current US$ | +18.2% |
| 1989 | 1.36 billion DOD, current US$ | +16.3% |
| 1990 | 1.63 billion DOD, current US$ | +20.0% |
| 1991 | 1.77 billion DOD, current US$ | +8.5% |
| 1992 | 1.80 billion DOD, current US$ | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 2.00 billion DOD, current US$ | +11.4% |
| 1994 | 2.32 billion DOD, current US$ | +15.8% |
| 1995 | 2.41 billion DOD, current US$ | +3.9% |
| 1996 | 2.40 billion DOD, current US$ | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 2.41 billion DOD, current US$ | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 2.67 billion DOD, current US$ | +10.6% |
| 1999 | 3.03 billion DOD, current US$ | +13.5% |
| 2000 | 2.87 billion DOD, current US$ | -5.1% |
| 2001 | 2.74 billion DOD, current US$ | -4.7% |
| 2002 | 3.00 billion DOD, current US$ | +9.4% |
| 2003 | 3.21 billion DOD, current US$ | +7.2% |
| 2004 | 3.37 billion DOD, current US$ | +4.8% |
| 2005 | 3.19 billion DOD, current US$ | -5.3% |
| 2006 | 3.40 billion DOD, current US$ | +6.7% |
| 2007 | 3.61 billion DOD, current US$ | +6.2% |
| 2008 | 3.70 billion DOD, current US$ | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 3.78 billion DOD, current US$ | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 3.79 billion DOD, current US$ | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 3.83 billion DOD, current US$ | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 3.81 billion DOD, current US$ | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 4.01 billion DOD, current US$ | +5.3% |
| 2014 | 3.98 billion DOD, current US$ | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 4.14 billion DOD, current US$ | +4.1% |
| 2016 | 4.30 billion DOD, current US$ | +3.7% |
| 2017 | 4.96 billion DOD, current US$ | +15.5% |
| 2018 | 5.51 billion DOD, current US$ | +11.0% |
| 2019 | 6.52 billion DOD, current US$ | +18.2% |
| 2020 | 7.91 billion DOD, current US$ | +21.3% |
| 2021 | 8.82 billion DOD, current US$ | +11.6% |
| 2022 | 9.36 billion DOD, current US$ | +6.1% |
| 2023 | 10.13 billion DOD, current US$ | +8.3% |
| 2024 | 10.57 billion DOD, current US$ | +4.3% |
| 2025 | 11.87 billion DOD, current US$ | +12.3% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 11.87 billion DOD, current US$ is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 16.63 billion DOD, current US$, 71% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 11.87 billion DOD, current US$ is below the median for South Asia, which is 34.76 billion DOD, current US$, 34% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) in Nepal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | +140.9% | 3.80 million DOD, current US$ | 9.16 million DOD, current US$ |
| 1977 | +102.8% | 49.58 million DOD, current US$ | 100.53 million DOD, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 51.60 million DOD, current US$ | 3.80 million DOD, current US$ | 146.35 million DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 659.88 million DOD, current US$ | 204.46 million DOD, current US$ | 1.36 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.24 billion DOD, current US$ | 1.63 billion DOD, current US$ | 3.03 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.29 billion DOD, current US$ | 2.74 billion DOD, current US$ | 3.78 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.48 billion DOD, current US$ | 3.79 billion DOD, current US$ | 6.52 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.78 billion DOD, current US$ | 7.91 billion DOD, current US$ | 11.87 billion DOD, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
- 66 Azerbaijan 12.33 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 67 Papua New Guinea 12.24 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 68 Albania 12.16 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 70 Burkina Faso 11.33 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 71 Montenegro 10.93 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 72 Myanmar 10.84 billion DOD, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for Nepal
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate 25.62 % change on previous year (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 4.28 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 5.25 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate -15.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0031 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 4.82 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -19.5 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0023 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 3.52 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external debt stocks, total in Nepal?
- External debt stocks, total in Nepal was 11.87 billion DOD, current US$ in 2025, according to International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest external debt stocks, total recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 11.87 billion DOD, current US$ in 2025.
- What is the lowest external debt stocks, total recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.80 million DOD, current US$ in 1970.
- How does Nepal rank for external debt stocks, total?
- Nepal ranks 69th out of 123 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external debt stocks, total rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 186.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nepal 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.
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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.