Ghana - External debt stocks (% of GNI)

External debt stocks (% of GNI) in Ghana was 44.26 as of 2020. Its highest value over the past 50 years was 139.44 in 2000, while its lowest value was 16.52 in 2008.

Definition: Total external debt stocks to gross national income. 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. GNI (formerly GNP) is the sum of value added by all resident producers plus any product taxes (less subsidies) not included in the valuation of output plus net receipts of primary income (compensation of employees and property income) from abroad.

Source: World Bank, International Debt Statistics.

See also:

Year Value
1970 26.35
1971 22.86
1972 28.86
1973 30.91
1974 25.39
1975 25.85
1976 25.89
1977 33.56
1978 34.99
1979 32.00
1980 31.59
1981 36.56
1982 36.87
1983 41.44
1984 44.98
1985 50.99
1986 49.40
1987 67.11
1988 61.80
1989 66.27
1990 67.18
1991 67.65
1992 71.47
1993 83.47
1994 102.54
1995 93.74
1996 94.87
1997 93.93
1998 95.09
1999 94.02
2000 139.44
2001 131.77
2002 126.56
2003 111.16
2004 83.38
2005 69.11
2006 18.21
2007 17.41
2008 16.52
2009 25.47
2010 26.42
2011 27.32
2012 30.61
2013 26.39
2014 34.35
2015 41.89
2016 39.03
2017 38.68
2018 36.06
2019 40.81
2020 44.26

Development Relevance: External debt is that part of the total debt in a country that is owed to creditors outside the country. The debtors can be the government, corporations or private households. The debt includes money owed to private commercial banks, other governments, or international financial institutions. External indebtedness affects a country's creditworthiness and investor perceptions. Nonreporting countries might have outstanding debt with the World Bank, other international financial institutions, or private creditors. Total debt service is contrasted with countries' ability to obtain foreign exchange through exports of goods, services, primary income, and workers' remittances. Debt ratios are used to assess the sustainability of a country's debt service obligations, but no absolute rules determine what values are too high. Empirical analysis of developing countries' experience and debt service performance shows that debt service difficulties become increasingly likely when the present value of debt reaches 200 percent of exports. Still, what constitutes a sustainable debt burden varies by country. Countries with fast-growing economies and exports are likely to be able to sustain higher debt levels. Various indicators determine a sustainable level of external debt, including: a) debt to GDP ratio b) foreign debt to exports ratio c) government debt to current fiscal revenue ratio d) share of foreign debt e) short-term debt f) concessional debt in the total debt stock

Statistical Concept and Methodology: Data on external debt are gathered through the World Bank's Debtor Reporting System (DRS). Long term debt data are compiled using the countries report on public and publicly guaranteed borrowing on a loan-by-loan basis and private non guaranteed borrowing on an aggregate basis. These data are supplemented by information from major multilateral banks and official lending agencies in major creditor countries. Short-term debt data are gathered from the Quarterly External Debt Statistics (QEDS) database, jointly developed by the World Bank and the IMF and from creditors through the reporting systems of the Bank for International Settlements. Debt data are reported in the currency of repayment and compiled and published in U.S. dollars. End-of-period exchange rates are used for the compilation of stock figures (amount of debt outstanding), and projected debt service and annual average exchange rates are used for the flows. Exchange rates are taken from the IMF's International Financial Statistics. Debt repayable in multiple currencies, goods, or services and debt with a provision for maintenance of the value of the currency of repayment are shown at book value.

Aggregation method: Weighted average

Periodicity: Annual

Classification

Topic: Economic Policy & Debt Indicators

Sub-Topic: External debt