External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) was 15.99 billion DOD, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External debt stocks, total in Zimbabwe, 1970–2025
Source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Measured in DOD, current US$.
Analysis
In 2025, external debt stocks, total in Zimbabwe stood at 15.99 billion DOD, current US$. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.8% on the previous year and up 60.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external debt stocks, total in Zimbabwe peaked at 15.99 billion DOD, current US$ in 2025 and was at its lowest, 143.90 million DOD, current US$, in 1976.
Zimbabwe ranks 59th of 123 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | DOD, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 232.36 million DOD, current US$ | — |
| 1971 | 238.50 million DOD, current US$ | +2.6% |
| 1972 | 218.82 million DOD, current US$ | -8.2% |
| 1973 | 217.48 million DOD, current US$ | -0.6% |
| 1974 | 217.43 million DOD, current US$ | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 186.85 million DOD, current US$ | -14.1% |
| 1976 | 143.90 million DOD, current US$ | -23.0% |
| 1977 | 199.46 million DOD, current US$ | +38.6% |
| 1978 | 446.07 million DOD, current US$ | +123.6% |
| 1979 | 559.24 million DOD, current US$ | +25.4% |
| 1980 | 785.62 million DOD, current US$ | +40.5% |
| 1981 | 1.26 billion DOD, current US$ | +60.4% |
| 1982 | 1.87 billion DOD, current US$ | +48.8% |
| 1983 | 2.20 billion DOD, current US$ | +17.4% |
| 1984 | 2.19 billion DOD, current US$ | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 2.43 billion DOD, current US$ | +11.0% |
| 1986 | 2.65 billion DOD, current US$ | +8.8% |
| 1987 | 2.92 billion DOD, current US$ | +10.4% |
| 1988 | 2.73 billion DOD, current US$ | -6.5% |
| 1989 | 2.85 billion DOD, current US$ | +4.5% |
| 1990 | 3.32 billion DOD, current US$ | +16.2% |
| 1991 | 3.52 billion DOD, current US$ | +6.0% |
| 1992 | 4.17 billion DOD, current US$ | +18.6% |
| 1993 | 4.33 billion DOD, current US$ | +3.8% |
| 1994 | 4.58 billion DOD, current US$ | +5.8% |
| 1995 | 5.09 billion DOD, current US$ | +11.1% |
| 1996 | 5.08 billion DOD, current US$ | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 4.97 billion DOD, current US$ | -2.3% |
| 1998 | 4.69 billion DOD, current US$ | -5.6% |
| 1999 | 4.42 billion DOD, current US$ | -5.7% |
| 2000 | 3.97 billion DOD, current US$ | -10.3% |
| 2001 | 3.81 billion DOD, current US$ | -4.0% |
| 2002 | 4.15 billion DOD, current US$ | +9.1% |
| 2003 | 4.81 billion DOD, current US$ | +15.7% |
| 2004 | 5.18 billion DOD, current US$ | +7.8% |
| 2005 | 4.70 billion DOD, current US$ | -9.2% |
| 2006 | 5.18 billion DOD, current US$ | +10.1% |
| 2007 | 5.91 billion DOD, current US$ | +14.0% |
| 2008 | 6.04 billion DOD, current US$ | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 6.40 billion DOD, current US$ | +5.9% |
| 2010 | 7.07 billion DOD, current US$ | +10.5% |
| 2011 | 7.64 billion DOD, current US$ | +8.0% |
| 2012 | 9.17 billion DOD, current US$ | +20.0% |
| 2013 | 8.69 billion DOD, current US$ | -5.2% |
| 2014 | 8.64 billion DOD, current US$ | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 9.99 billion DOD, current US$ | +15.6% |
| 2016 | 11.81 billion DOD, current US$ | +18.2% |
| 2017 | 12.87 billion DOD, current US$ | +9.0% |
| 2018 | 12.98 billion DOD, current US$ | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 12.53 billion DOD, current US$ | -3.5% |
| 2020 | 13.02 billion DOD, current US$ | +3.9% |
| 2021 | 14.13 billion DOD, current US$ | +8.5% |
| 2022 | 14.11 billion DOD, current US$ | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 14.55 billion DOD, current US$ | +3.1% |
| 2024 | 15.26 billion DOD, current US$ | +4.9% |
| 2025 | 15.99 billion DOD, current US$ | +4.8% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 15.99 billion DOD, current US$ is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 16.63 billion DOD, current US$, 96% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 15.99 billion DOD, current US$ is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 7.71 billion DOD, current US$, 2.1× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) in Zimbabwe 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | +123.6% | 199.46 million DOD, current US$ | 446.07 million DOD, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 266.01 million DOD, current US$ | 143.90 million DOD, current US$ | 559.24 million DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.19 billion DOD, current US$ | 785.62 million DOD, current US$ | 2.92 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.42 billion DOD, current US$ | 3.32 billion DOD, current US$ | 5.09 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.01 billion DOD, current US$ | 3.81 billion DOD, current US$ | 6.40 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.14 billion DOD, current US$ | 7.07 billion DOD, current US$ | 12.98 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.51 billion DOD, current US$ | 13.02 billion DOD, current US$ | 15.99 billion DOD, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
- 56 Bolivia 16.63 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 57 Bosnia and Herzegovina 16.03 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 58 Nicaragua 15.99 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 60 Democratic Republic of Congo 15.34 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 61 Jamaica 15.30 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 62 Rwanda 14.55 billion DOD, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for Zimbabwe
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -67.36 % change on previous year (2024)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.02 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 139.91 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 0.1973 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 128.46 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 0.1441 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 Zimbabwe?
- External debt stocks, total in Zimbabwe was 15.99 billion DOD, current US$ in 2025, according to International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest external debt stocks, total recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 15.99 billion DOD, current US$ in 2025.
- What is the lowest external debt stocks, total recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 143.90 million DOD, current US$ in 1976.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for external debt stocks, total?
- Zimbabwe ranks 59th out of 123 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external debt stocks, total rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 60.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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.