• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
AFRIPOL

AFRIPOL

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Mission Statement
  • Articles
  • Book Review
  • Archive
  • Contact Us

Africa’s Top 10 Most Indebted Countries

December 12, 2017 by Admin Leave a Comment

Written by MT howAfrica

Most Indebted African Countries According to World Bank

South Africa – 137,500,000,000
Egypt – 48,760,000,000
Sudan – 39,700,000,000
Morocco – 29,420,000,000
Tunisia – 24,490,000,000
Angola – 19,650,000,000
Ghana – 11.230.000.000
Tanzania – 11,180,000,000
Nigeria – 10,100,000,000
Ethiopia – 9, 956.000,000

1.South Africa – 137,500,000,000
The country recorded a government debt equivalent to 50.10%t of the country’s GDP in 2015. The debt of the Government to GDP in South Africa was an average of 37.89 percent from 2000 until 2015. The highest was 50.10 percent in 2015, and the lowest was 27.80 percent in 2008. Entrepreneurs use the Government’s debt as a percent of GDP to gauge the country’s capability to offset its debt in the future, thus affecting the country borrowing costs and government bond yields.

2.Egypt – 48,760,000,000
In the fourth quarter of 2016, Egypt’s External Debt rose to 67322.60 USD Million from 60152.60 USD Million at the end of the third quarter of the same year. External Debt in Egypt was an average 33433.40 USD Million from 1997 until 2016. The debt recorded a low of 26132.50 USD Million in the first quarter of 2001. In the country, external debt is a part of the total debt that it owes to creditors outside the country.

3.Sudan – 39,700,000,000
In 2015 Sudan public debt was 59,372 million dollars, has increased 4,469 million since 2014.It implies that the borrowing in 2015 reached 72.91% of Sudan’s GDP, a 4.35 percentage point falls from 2014 when it was 77.26% of GDP. Sudan’s debt has been on the rise since 2005 in global debt terms when it was 25,152 million dollars although it had fallen as a percentage of GDP when it amounted to 94.95%.In 2005, was 713 dollars per person. However, the position of Sudan as one of the most indebted African countries has significantly improved in 2015 regarding GDP percentage.

4.Morocco – 29,420,000,000
External Debt in Morocco increased to 46499.84 USD Million dollars in the third quarter of 2016 from 45300.64 Million dollars in the second quarter of 2016. External Debt in Morocco averaged at 27165.24 USD Million between 2006 and 2016, reaching a high of 46552.41 USD Million in the third quarter of 2016 and a record low of 15070.91 USD Million in the first quarter of 2007.

5.Tunisia – 24,490,000,000
In 2015 Tunisia public debt was 24,275 USD million dollars, has increased 264 million since 2014.The amount of debt in 2015 reached 55.71% of Tunisia GDP. A 4.15 percentage point rise from 2014 when it was 51.56% of GDP.Since 2005, the debt has been growing and is the fourth most indebted African countries. Tunisia per capita debt in 2015 was 2,157 dollars per inhabitant. In 2014 it was 2,232 dollars, after that increasing by 75 dollars, and in 2005, the debt per person was 1,687 dollars. The position of Tunisia, as compared with the rest of the world, has improved in 2015 regarding GDP percentage.

6.Angola – 19,650,000,000
The External Debt in Angola rose from 35933.10 USD Million in 2014 to 36278.70 USD Million in 2015. However, from 2002 to 2015, it averaged 17463.91 USD Million reaching a high of 36278.70 USD Million and a low of 7594.83 USD Million in 2006.

7.Ghana – 11.230.000.000
Ghana’s public debt was 26,686 million dollars, in 2015 and still rank as one of African indebted countries. It has risen by 1,168 million since 2014.In 2015, the debt was 70.82% of Ghana GDP, a 1.33% point drop from 2014, when it was 72.15% of GDP.Ghana’s global debt has been rising since 2005 when it amounted to 8,368 million dollars and also regarding GDP percentage when it was 47.99%.The country’s per capita debt in 2015 was 974 dollars per inhabitant. In 2014 it was 1,040 dollars, and later went up by 66 dollars, and in 2005, the debt per resident was 392 dollars. Regarding GDP percentage, Ghana’s position improved in 2015.

8.Tanzania – 11,180,000,000
In Tanzania, the External Debt increased to 17440.90 USD Million in January from 16986.20 USD Million in December 2016. The External Debt in Tanzania maintained an average of 12805.61 USD Million from 2011 until 2017, recording an all-time high of 17440.90 USD Million in January of 2017. In December of 2011, it recorded a low of 2469.70 USD Million.

9.Nigeria – 10,100,000,000
Nigeria’s Internal Debt rose to 11406.28 USD Million in the fourth quarter of 2016. In the third quarter of 2016, it was 1,1261.89 USD Million. It averaged 6920.43 USD Million between 2008 and 2016, in the fourth quarter of the same year it was the highest at 11406.28 USD Million and a recorded a decrease to 3627.50 USD Million in the first months of 2009.

10.Ethiopia – 9, 956.000,000
Ethiopia’s public debt in 2015 amounted to 34,539 million dollars, has been on the increase since 2014with a rise of 8,843 million.The debt in 2015 reached 56.05% of the country’s GDP, a 9.75 percentage point increase when it was 46.3% of GDP in 2014. It has risen since 2005 in global debt when it amounted to 9,695 million dollars although it dropped as a percentage of GDP when it was 78.24%.Ethiopia per capita debt in 2015 was 348 dollars per inhabitant. In 2014 it was 265 dollars, afterward rising by 83 dollars.The debt per person was 129 dollars in 2005. Ethiopia’s situation has worsened in 2015 concerning GDP percentage, making it the tenth of the most indebted countries in Africa.

Filed Under: Strategic Research & Analysis Tagged With: Egypt

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

More to See

Mike Tyson in Congo, Africa – In search of his roots (pics , video)

October 23, 2025 By AFRIPOL

United Nations by Emeka Chiakwelu

October 11, 2025 By AFRIPOL

RSS AllAfrica News: Latest

  • Nigeria: NNPP, Kwankwasiyya Accuse APC of Attack On Members
    [Daily Trust] The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the Kwankwasiyya Movement have accused thugs allegedly loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC) of attacking their members during a political gathering in Rogo Local Government Area of Kano State.
  • Nigeria: 2027 - Oil, Gas Communities Back Tinubu for Second Term
    [Daily Trust] A coalition of oil and gas producing communities under the aegis of Communities of Oil and Gas in Nigeria (COGIN) has declared their support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu the 2027.
  • Nigeria: Mass Resignation Hits Benue APC As Guber Aspirants Attend PDP Meeting
    [Daily Trust] Following internal disagreements within the Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) scores of party members have resigned from the party.
  • Nigeria: 'My Heart Is All Broken,' Kpakor Mourns Henry Nwosu
    [Daily Trust] As the football fraternity continues to mourn the death of Henry Nwosu, one of his former teammates, Moses Kpakor, has said he is completely devastated by the unfortunate incident.
  • Nigeria: Nigeria Urges Women's Empowerment At UN CSW70 (2026) in New York
    [Daily Trust] Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to women's empowerment.
  • Nigeria: Fuel Price Hike - Labour Seeks Tax Relief
    [Daily Trust] The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday demanded a cost-of-living allowance, a wage award for workers and tax relief to cushion the effects of the recent increase in the price of fuel occasioned by the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.

Tags

Achebe Africa Anambra Boko Haram Buhari CBN Corona Virus Egypt Igbo IMF Inflation Jonathan Kenya Nigeria Okonjo Iweala Peter Obi Sanusi Senate Soludo South Africa Soyinka United States
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Archives

Footer

Africa Political and Economic Strategic Center, AFRIPOL is foremost a public policy center whose fundamental objective is to broaden the parameters of public policy debates in Africa. To advocate, promote and encourage free enterprise, democracy, sustainable green environment, human rights, conflict resolutions, transparency and probity in Africa.

Recent

  • President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Powerful Tribute to Jesse Jackson (video)
  • Chinua Achebe rejected an invitation from the Nobel committee in 1986
  • Daniel Bwala @ AI Jazeera Network: The fall of a dutiful sycophant
  • El-Rufai Honours EFCC Invitation for Questioning
  • Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni speaks at African Union on migration and investment

Search

Tags

Achebe Africa Anambra Boko Haram Buhari CBN Corona Virus Egypt Igbo IMF Inflation Jonathan Kenya Nigeria Okonjo Iweala Peter Obi Sanusi Senate Soludo South Africa Soyinka United States

Copyright © 2026 · AFRIPOL