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Indicator

Public Debt by African country

2026

General government gross debt as a percentage of GDP.

Africa, 202650 of 54 countries
60.8%population-weighted average
Highest in 2026Sudan · 169.1%Lowest in 2026Democratic Republic of the Congo · 24.6%Reported in 202650 of 54 countries surveyed
Click a country to pin it — pinned countries are named on the map. Hatching means no record.
Western Sahara — no separate recordTanzania — 48.7%Democratic Republic of the Congo — 24.6%Somalia — no dataKenya — 71.6%Sudan — 169.1%Chad — 29.9%South Africa — 78.9%Lesotho — 49.0%Zimbabwe — 42.3%Botswana — 47.0%Namibia — 70.5%Senegal — 132.3%Mali — 40.8%Mauritania — 37.1%Benin — 57.2%Niger — 45.5%Nigeria — 32.3%Cameroon — 39.3%Togo — 64.7%Ghana — 53.0%Cote d'Ivoire — 55.1%Guinea — 44.7%Guinea-Bissau — 73.6%Liberia — 53.8%Sierra Leone — 44.3%Burkina Faso — 48.8%Central African Republic — 64.0%Republic of the Congo — 91.3%Gabon — 86.1%Equatorial Guinea — 39.1%Zambia — no dataMalawi — 74.5%Mozambique — 106.1%Eswatini — 50.0%Angola — 51.6%Burundi — 37.0%Madagascar — 49.3%Gambia — 68.3%Tunisia — 84.9%Algeria — 59.2%Eritrea — no dataMorocco — 65.8%Egypt — 87.0%Libya — no dataEthiopia — 40.4%Djibouti — 29.6%Uganda — 55.0%Rwanda — 66.8%South Sudan — 57.3%Nigeria 32.3%Nigeria 32.3%Ethiopia 40.4%Ethiopia 40.4%Kenya 71.6%Kenya 71.6%South Africa 78.9%South Africa 78.9%2026HIGHEST IN 2026Sudan169.1%Senegal132.3%Mozambique106.1%Cabo Verdenot drawn95.9%Republic of the Congo91.3%LOWEST IN 2026Democratic Republic of the Congo24.6%Djibouti29.6%Chad29.9%Nigeria32.3%Comorosnot drawn32.4%PINNEDEthiopia40.4%41 of 50Kenya71.6%13 of 50South Africa78.9%10 of 50OTHER ISLAND STATES · NOT DRAWNMauritiusnot drawn86.5%Sao Tome and Principenot drawn50.4%Seychellesnot drawn55.0%% of GDP · quintiles of the observed range24.6%40.4%49.3%57.3%74.5%169.1%no record
20142026
IMF · national statistics offices · the provider's own estimates where a country has not reportedCC BY 4.0
Countries

By region

Population-weighted, so a region’s figure is the share of its people, not the average of its countries.
Northern Africa5 of 6 countries93.2%
Western Africa16 of 16 countries59.2%
Southern Africa5 of 5 countries59.1%
Eastern Africa15 of 18 countries56.8%
Middle Africa9 of 9 countries52.9%
Africaall 54 countries · 50 with a 2026 figure60.8%

What to know before you quote this

Specific to this series. For how we treat data generally, see methods.
Four countries have no usable 2026 recordNot a low value — no figure within the window. Eritrea, Libya, Somalia and Zambia are hatched on the map and blank in the table.
Certainty is judged year by yearA country can be Reported in one year and Modelled the next. The tag follows the year on the scrubber, so the 2026 assessment is not a verdict on the whole series.

About this data

Public DebtGeneral government gross debt as a percentage of GDP.
SourceIMF, with processing by Africa API
Unit% of GDP
Last updated29 Jun 2026
Next expected updateJun 2027
Date range1980–2026
Coverage50 of 54 countries · 50 reported, 0 modelled, 4 with no usable figure

How the figure is made

ReportedA national statistics office or the original provider published the figure for that year directly. 50 countries did so for 2026 — the certainty shown on this page is that 2026 assessment, not a per-series one.ModelledNo direct figure that year. The provider’s own estimate, interpolation or projection stands in, and is marked as such wherever it appears.No dataNo usable figure within the window. Drawn hatched on the map and left blank in the table — not zero, and not filled in.

These three states are used the same way across every indicator on the site — how we treat certainty explains the full set and what we never do to a number.

Reuse and cite

Everything on this page is open under CC BY 4.0 — use it anywhere, including commercially, as long as Africa API and the original provider are credited. The provider’s own licence still applies to their data.

How to cite this page
Africa API (2026) — "Public Debt". Data adapted from IMF. Retrieved 18 Oct 2026 from africa-api.com/indicators/public-debt
The request behind this view
GET /v1/data?metric_key=public_debt_pct_gdp&year=2026&limit=100

Read next

The measures that explain this one.
EconomyGDPGross domestic product in current US dollars.EconomyGDP per CapitaGross domestic product divided by mid-year population, in current US dollars.EconomyInflation RateLatest year-on-year consumer price inflation.

Public Debt: most recent figure per country, highest to lowest

51 countries · each with its own period

The figures at the top of the page compare every country in the same year. This list takes each country’s newest figure instead, whatever its period, so the order can differ.

#CountryPublic DebtPeriod
1Sudan169.1%2026
2Senegal132.3%2026
3Mozambique106.1%2026
4Cabo Verde95.9%2026
5Republic of the Congo91.3%2026
6Egypt87%2026
7Mauritius86.5%2026
8Gabon86.1%2026
9Zambia86%2025
10Tunisia84.9%2026
11South Africa78.9%2026
12Malawi74.5%2026
13Guinea-Bissau73.6%2026
14Kenya71.6%2026
15Namibia70.5%2026
16Gambia68.3%2026
17Rwanda66.8%2026
18Morocco65.8%2026
19Togo64.7%2026
20Central African Republic64%2026
21Algeria59.2%2026
22South Sudan57.3%2026
23Benin57.2%2026
24Cote d'Ivoire55.1%2026
25Seychelles55%2026
26Uganda55%2026
27Liberia53.8%2026
28Ghana53%2026
29Angola51.6%2026
30Sao Tome and Principe50.4%2026
31Eswatini50%2026
32Madagascar49.3%2026
33Lesotho49%2026
34Burkina Faso48.8%2026
35Tanzania48.7%2026
36Botswana47%2026
37Niger45.5%2026
38Guinea44.7%2026
39Sierra Leone44.3%2026
40Zimbabwe42.3%2026
41Mali40.8%2026
42Ethiopia40.4%2026
43Cameroon39.3%2026
44Equatorial Guinea39.1%2026
45Mauritania37.1%2026
46Burundi37%2026
47Comoros32.4%2026
48Nigeria32.3%2026
49Chad29.9%2026
50Djibouti29.6%2026
51Democratic Republic of the Congo24.6%2026
Which observations are included?
The ranking includes 51 of 54 countries with available observations for 2023 or later and within 2 years of the freshest result. Each figure shows its reporting period. Countries without an eligible observation are omitted.
Does a higher value mean a better result?
The ranking is sorted by value, from highest to lowest. The order does not rate a country's performance. Interpretation depends on the indicator and its definition.

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