Short-term debt in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)

Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income): Short-term debt was 29.5% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
29.5%
Change on year
down 3.6%
Rank
23rd
of 32 groups
All-time high
216.1%
in 1981
All-time low
21.2%
in 2009
Years of data
49
1970–2024

Short-term debt in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), 1970–2024

050100150200197019972024

Source: World Development Indicators, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total reserves.

Analysis

In 2024, short-term debt in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) stood at 29.5%.

The figure is down 3.6% on the previous year and up 8.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, short-term debt in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) peaked at 216.1% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 21.2%, in 2009.

That places Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 23rd out of 32 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Short-term debt in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), year by year

Annual values for Short-term debt (% of total reserves) in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), 1970 to 2024.
Year % of total reserves Change
1970 105.5%
1971 101.6% -3.7%
1972 66.3% -34.8%
1973 50.4% -23.9%
1978 83.9% +66.4%
1979 85.4% +1.7%
1980 142.5% +66.9%
1981 216.1% +51.7%
1984 121.1% -43.9%
1985 99.0% -18.3%
1986 94.7% -4.4%
1987 97.8% +3.3%
1988 125.3% +28.1%
1989 167.3% +33.5%
1990 172.8% +3.3%
1991 148.8% -13.9%
1992 109.8% -26.2%
1993 103.7% -5.6%
1994 118.4% +14.2%
1995 102.5% -13.4%
1996 84.2% -17.9%
1997 85.7% +1.7%
1998 83.2% -2.9%
1999 80.8% -2.8%
2000 76.1% -5.8%
2001 61.6% -19.0%
2002 59.8% -3.0%
2003 56.5% -5.4%
2004 51.6% -8.8%
2005 49.6% -3.8%
2006 38.2% -23.1%
2007 28.5% -25.3%
2008 24.5% -14.2%
2009 21.2% -13.2%
2010 26.0% +22.7%
2011 22.0% -15.3%
2012 22.5% +2.1%
2013 26.3% +16.8%
2014 27.3% +3.8%
2015 29.1% +6.8%
2016 24.0% -17.6%
2017 24.1% +0.4%
2018 29.5% +22.3%
2019 31.4% +6.5%
2020 24.5% -22.1%
2021 25.5% +4.1%
2022 27.9% +9.6%
2023 30.6% +9.8%
2024 29.5% -3.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 82.2% 50.4% 105.5% 6
1980s 133.0% 94.7% 216.1% 8
1990s 109.0% 80.8% 172.8% 10
2000s 46.8% 21.2% 76.1% 10
2010s 26.2% 22.0% 31.4% 10
2020s 27.6% 24.5% 30.6% 5

Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)

  1. 20 Egypt 69.0% compare
  2. 21 Zambia 68.3% compare
  3. 22 Fiji 65.8% compare
  4. 23 North Macedonia 60.5% compare
  5. 24 Bangladesh 60.5% compare
  6. 25 Ghana 58.6% compare
  7. 26 Lebanon 57.2% compare

See the full ranking of 144 places →

More economy & growth data for Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)

All data for Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) →

Frequently asked questions

What is short-term debt in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
Short-term debt in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) was 29.5% in 2024, according to World Development Indicators, World Bank (WB).
What is the highest short-term debt recorded in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
The highest recorded value was 216.1% in 1981.
What is the lowest short-term debt recorded in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
The lowest recorded value was 21.2% in 2009.
How does Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) rank for short-term debt?
Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) ranks 23rd out of 32 groups with data for 2024.
Is short-term debt rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) data come from?
The figures come from World Development Indicators, World Bank (WB), published as part of Short-term debt (% of total reserves). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Short-term debt in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income). Statizoid, drawing on World Development Indicators, World Bank (WB). Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/short-term-debt-percent-of-total-reserves/latin-america-and-caribbean-excluding-high-income/

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About this data

Indicator
Short-term debt (% of total reserves)
Unit
% of total reserves
Source
World Development Indicators, World Bank (WB)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
144 places, 6,180 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

Short-term debt includes all debt having an original maturity of one year or less and interest in arrears on long-term debt. Total reserves includes gold.