Total debt service in Nepal
Nepal: Total debt service was 12.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Total debt service in Nepal, 1976–2024
Source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of exports of goods, services and primary income.
Analysis
Nepal recorded 12.4% for total debt service in 2024.
That represents a change of up 4.4% on the previous year and up 52.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total debt service in Nepal peaked at 16.1% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 1976.
That places Nepal 62nd out of 120 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Total debt service in Nepal, year by year
| Year | % of exports of goods, services and primary income | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 1.1% | — |
| 1977 | 2.9% | +157.3% |
| 1978 | 6.6% | +130.2% |
| 1979 | 2.8% | -58.1% |
| 1980 | 2.9% | +4.1% |
| 1981 | 3.7% | +28.2% |
| 1982 | 6.8% | +86.0% |
| 1983 | 7.0% | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 6.5% | -7.0% |
| 1985 | 7.0% | +8.6% |
| 1986 | 8.4% | +19.6% |
| 1987 | 9.0% | +6.7% |
| 1988 | 11.1% | +22.8% |
| 1989 | 16.1% | +45.6% |
| 1990 | 15.0% | -6.8% |
| 1991 | 11.7% | -22.3% |
| 1992 | 9.3% | -20.2% |
| 1993 | 8.7% | -6.5% |
| 1994 | 8.0% | -7.6% |
| 1995 | 7.9% | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 6.6% | -16.0% |
| 1997 | 7.0% | +6.0% |
| 1998 | 8.1% | +14.9% |
| 1999 | 8.2% | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 7.6% | -7.0% |
| 2001 | 7.9% | +3.6% |
| 2002 | 10.3% | +30.8% |
| 2003 | 10.3% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 9.1% | -11.1% |
| 2005 | 8.5% | -7.6% |
| 2006 | 10.2% | +20.6% |
| 2007 | 8.9% | -13.0% |
| 2008 | 8.4% | -5.0% |
| 2009 | 10.1% | +19.7% |
| 2010 | 10.6% | +4.7% |
| 2011 | 9.2% | -13.1% |
| 2012 | 10.3% | +11.8% |
| 2013 | 8.8% | -14.0% |
| 2014 | 8.1% | -7.8% |
| 2015 | 8.4% | +3.8% |
| 2016 | 9.3% | +10.2% |
| 2017 | 8.5% | -8.8% |
| 2018 | 7.2% | -14.8% |
| 2019 | 8.3% | +14.3% |
| 2020 | 12.2% | +47.8% |
| 2021 | 9.9% | -19.2% |
| 2022 | 10.2% | +3.6% |
| 2023 | 11.9% | +16.2% |
| 2024 | 12.4% | +4.4% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 12.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 16.6%, 75% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 12.4% is below the median for South Asia, which is 14.1%, 88% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Total debt service 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | +157.3% | 1.1% | 2.9% |
| 1978 | +130.2% | 2.9% | 6.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.3% | 1.1% | 6.6% | 4 |
| 1980s | 7.9% | 2.9% | 16.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.1% | 6.6% | 15.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.1% | 7.6% | 10.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.9% | 7.2% | 10.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.3% | 9.9% | 12.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
- 59 Guinea-Bissau 13.3% compare
- 60 Morocco 12.9% compare
- 61 Cape Verde 12.6% compare
- 63 Tanzania 12.1% compare
- 64 Ethiopia 11.5% compare
- 65 Azerbaijan 11.4% compare
More economy & growth data for Nepal
- 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)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 0 BoP, current US$ (1989)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (1989)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 0 BoP, current US$ per person (1989)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 56.90 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -23.95 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0013 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 1.92 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 33.15 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total debt service in Nepal?
- Total debt service in Nepal was 12.4% in 2024, according to International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest total debt service recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 16.1% in 1989.
- What is the lowest total debt service recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 1976.
- How does Nepal rank for total debt service?
- Nepal ranks 62nd out of 120 countries with data for 2024.
- Is total debt service rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 52.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nepal data come from?
- The figures come from International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB), published as part of Total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and primary income). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total debt service to exports of goods, services and primary income. Total debt service is the sum of principal repayments and interest actually paid in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt, interest paid on short-term debt, and repayments (repurchases and charges) to the IMF.