Statizoid

Short-term debt in China

China: Short-term debt was 31.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
31.0%
Change on year
down 7.0%
World rank
19th
of 119 countries
All-time high
45.9%
in 2014
All-time low
6.5%
in 2000
Years of data
43
1982–2024

Short-term debt in China, 1982–2024

10203040501982200320241982: 9.3 % of exports of goods, services and primary income1983: 16.1 % of exports of goods, services and primary income1984: 19.5 % of exports of goods, services and primary income1985: 21.7 % of exports of goods, services and primary income1986: 19.8 % of exports of goods, services and primary income1987: 20.5 % of exports of goods, services and primary income1988: 18.6 % of exports of goods, services and primary income1989: 13.9 % of exports of goods, services and primary income1990: 15.4 % of exports of goods, services and primary income1991: 15.5 % of exports of goods, services and primary income1992: 16.3 % of exports of goods, services and primary income1993: 16.8 % of exports of goods, services and primary income1994: 14 % of exports of goods, services and primary income1995: 14.6 % of exports of goods, services and primary income1996: 14.2 % of exports of goods, services and primary income1997: 21.5 % of exports of goods, services and primary income1998: 11.8 % of exports of goods, services and primary income1999: 9.6 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2000: 6.5 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2001: 25.8 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2002: 25.7 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2003: 19.1 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2004: 18.5 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2005: 18.2 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2006: 16.6 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2007: 15.2 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2008: 11.6 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2009: 17.5 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2010: 28.5 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2011: 35.8 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2012: 33.8 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2013: 42.4 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2014: 45.9 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2015: 31.8 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2016: 33.1 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2017: 37.9 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2018: 41.8 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2019: 41.3 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2020: 41.3 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2021: 35.4 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2022: 31.8 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2023: 33.3 % of exports of goods, services and primary income2024: 31 % of exports of goods, services and primary income

Source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of exports of goods, services and primary income.

Analysis

The most recent figure for short-term debt in China is 31.0%, measured in 2024.

That represents a change of down 7.0% on the previous year and down 32.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, short-term debt in China peaked at 45.9% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 6.5%, in 2000.

China ranks 19th of 119 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.

Short-term debt in China, year by year

Year % of exports of goods, services and primary income Change
1982 9.3% —
1983 16.1% +73.2%
1984 19.5% +21.0%
1985 21.7% +11.1%
1986 19.8% -8.6%
1987 20.5% +3.4%
1988 18.6% -9.2%
1989 13.9% -25.3%
1990 15.4% +11.1%
1991 15.5% +0.4%
1992 16.3% +5.3%
1993 16.8% +2.8%
1994 14.0% -16.5%
1995 14.6% +4.6%
1996 14.2% -3.1%
1997 21.5% +51.6%
1998 11.8% -45.2%
1999 9.6% -18.7%
2000 6.5% -32.7%
2001 25.8% +300.1%
2002 25.7% -0.7%
2003 19.1% -25.7%
2004 18.5% -2.9%
2005 18.2% -1.4%
2006 16.6% -9.2%
2007 15.2% -8.4%
2008 11.6% -23.4%
2009 17.5% +50.9%
2010 28.5% +62.3%
2011 35.8% +25.8%
2012 33.8% -5.6%
2013 42.4% +25.4%
2014 45.9% +8.2%
2015 31.8% -30.6%
2016 33.1% +3.9%
2017 37.9% +14.7%
2018 41.8% +10.1%
2019 41.3% -1.0%
2020 41.3% -0.1%
2021 35.4% -14.3%
2022 31.8% -10.0%
2023 33.3% +4.7%
2024 31.0% -7.0%

China compared with similar countries

  • China's 31.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.7%, 1.8× the median. (51 countries reporting)
  • China's 31.0% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 11.5%, 2.7× the median. (16 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Short-term debt in China 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.

YearChange FromTo
2001 +300.1% 6.5% 25.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 17.4% 9.3% 21.7% 8
1990s 15.0% 9.6% 21.5% 10
2000s 17.5% 6.5% 25.8% 10
2010s 37.2% 28.5% 45.9% 10
2020s 34.6% 31.0% 41.3% 5

Countries ranked near China

  1. 16 Cape Verde 32.1% compare
  2. 17 Fiji 31.5% compare
  3. 18 Jamaica 31.2% compare
  4. 20 Kosovo 29.7% compare
  5. 20 Kosovo (UNSCR 1244) 29.7% compare
  6. 22 North Macedonia 29.7% compare

See the full ranking of 151 places →

More economy & growth data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is short-term debt in China?
Short-term debt in China was 31.0% in 2024, according to International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB).
What is the highest short-term debt recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 45.9% in 2014.
What is the lowest short-term debt recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 6.5% in 2000.
How does China rank for short-term debt?
China ranks 19th out of 119 countries with data for 2024.
Is short-term debt rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 32.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB), published as part of Short-term debt (% of exports of goods, services and primary income). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 43 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Short-term debt in China. Statizoid, drawing on International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/short-term-debt-percent-of-exports-of-goods-services-and-primary-income/china/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/short-term-debt-percent-of-exports-of-goods-services-and-primary-income/china/">Short-term debt in China</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Short-term debt (% of exports of goods, services and primary income)
Unit
% of exports of goods, services and primary income
Source
International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
151 places, 5,838 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

Short-term external debt is defined as debt that has an original maturity of one year or less. Available data permit no distinction between public and private nonguaranteed short-term debt. Exports of goods, services and primary income is the sum of goods (merchandise) exports, exports of (nonfactor) services and income (factor) receipts.