Debt

Zimbabwe's debt

How much Zimbabwe owes, to whom, and how that compares with the rest of Africa. From IMF and World Bank figures.

Zimbabwe's debt at a glance

Government debt, % of GDP (2025)
38.0 %
Owed abroad by the government, US$ billion (2024)
5.3
Largest creditor: China, % of foreign public debt
37.8 %
Owed to China, % of foreign public debt
37.8 %

Source: World Bank, International Debt Statistics. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Zimbabwe's government debt against the size of its economyGeneral government gross debt, % of GDP. From 2026 the figures are IMF projections.

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Period	Zimbabwe	Middle African country
2010	33.2	32.1
2011	30.0	28.4
2012	27.2	26.4
2013	26.4	31.1
2014	29.2	36.4
2015	34.1	44.1
2016	35.1	45.9
2017	49.0	48.0
2018	33.0	49.2
2019	53.9	53.9
2020	56.8	56.7
2021	39.9	57.2
2022	66.8	59.5
2023	76.1	60.9
2024	70.4	56.8
2025	38.0	53.2
2026	33.5 (partial)	52.5 (partial)
2027	30.6 (partial)	54.2 (partial)
2028	30.2 (partial)	53.0 (partial)
2029	28.1 (partial)	53.1 (partial)
2030	26.7 (partial)	51.7 (partial)
2031	25.7 (partial)	50.7 (partial)

Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook. Last checked 24 October 2026.

China is Zimbabwe's largest creditorPublic and publicly guaranteed debt owed abroad, US$ million, 2024.

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Item	Detail	Value
China	37.8% · other governments	2,007
World Bank-IDA	8.1% · development banks and funds	430
World Bank-IBRD	8% · development banks and funds	425
Germany	7.4% · other governments	393
African Export-Import Bank	6.6% · other governments	353
African Development Bank	6.6% · development banks and funds	351
France	3.7% · other governments	194
Japan	2.6% · other governments	139
United States	2.6% · other governments	136
United Kingdom	2.6% · other governments	136
European Investment Bank	2.5% · development banks and funds	132
Italy	1.7% · other governments	91
India	1.5% · other governments	81
Finland	1.3% · other governments	72
Netherlands	1% · other governments	53
Sweden	0.8% · other governments	42
Brazil	0.7% · other governments	35
OPEC Fund for International Development	0.6% · development banks and funds	34
Spain	0.6% · other governments	32
Norway	0.4% · other governments	23
Belgium	0.4% · other governments	22
Switzerland	0.4% · other governments	20
Several lenders together	0.4% · other lenders	20
Nordic Development Fund	0.3% · development banks and funds	18
European Development Fund (EDF)	0.3% · development banks and funds	15
Kuwait	0.3% · other governments	15
South Africa	0.3% · other governments	14
Austria	0.2% · other governments	13
Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA)	0.2% · development banks and funds	9
International Fund for Agricultural Development	0.1% · development banks and funds	8
European Economic Community (EEC)	0% · development banks and funds	2
Bondholders	0% · bondholders	0

Source: World Bank, International Debt Statistics. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Who Zimbabwe owes, by type of lenderShare of public debt owed abroad, 2024.

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Part	Value	Share
Other governments	72.8 %	73%
Development banks and funds	26.8 %	27%
Other lenders	0.4 %	0%
Bondholders	0.0 %	0%

Source: World Bank, International Debt Statistics. Last checked 24 October 2026.

How Zimbabwe's main creditors changedPublic debt owed abroad, US$ million.

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Period	China	World Bank-IDA	World Bank-IBRD	Germany	African Export-Import Bank
2010	407	513	463	502	0
2011	505	511	463	486	0
2012	686	512	463	497	31
2013	743	513	462	519	17
2014	817	482	458	458	17
2015	1,003	461	450	411	183
2016	1,141	446	439	398	117
2017	1,255	472	435	452	67
2018	1,470	461	435	432	17
2019	1,502	458	433	424	17
2020	1,580	477	433	462	17
2021	1,731	462	430	427	17
2022	1,943	439	427	403	17
2023	1,964	443	427	417	383
2024	2,007	430	425	393	353

Source: World Bank, International Debt Statistics. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Government debt across East Africa% of GDP, latest year before IMF projections.

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Item	Value
Eritrea	260.4
Zambia	100.6
Malawi	96.6
Mozambique	90.3
Mauritius	86.8
Kenya	71.3
Rwanda	64.7
South Sudan	64.2
Uganda	53.2
Seychelles	51.2
Tanzania	49.8
Madagascar	47.7
Ethiopia	43.3
Burundi	42.0
Zimbabwe	38.0
Djibouti	31.3
Comoros	30.5

Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Where Zimbabwe ranks in Africa

Government debt to GDP: 45th highest of 53.
Total external debt in dollars: 19th largest of 49.
Compare Zimbabwe's debt with its neighbours on the data wall

Method and sources

Debt to GDP is the IMF's general government gross debt, which covers domestic and foreign debt of every level of government. Debt owed abroad by the government and debt it guarantees. Excludes IMF credit and private debt that is not guaranteed. WLD is the total. Creditor names are the World Bank's. Figures checked 24 October 2026.

IMF government debt data · World Bank International Debt Statistics

Frequently asked questions

How much does Zimbabwe owe?

Zimbabwe government and the debt it guarantees owed $5.3 billion to foreign lenders in 2024, according to the World Bank's International Debt Statistics. Counting domestic debt too, government debt was 38% of GDP in 2025, according to the IMF.

Who is Zimbabwe's largest creditor?

China, owed $2 billion in 2024, 37.8% of the government's foreign debt. Next: World Bank-IDA (8.1%), World Bank-IBRD (8%) and Germany (7.4%).

How much does Zimbabwe owe China?

$2 billion in 2024, 37.8% of public debt owed abroad, which makes China its 1st largest creditor.

What is Zimbabwe's debt to GDP ratio?

38% in 2025: general government gross debt as a share of GDP, from the IMF World Economic Outlook. That is the 45th highest of 53 African countries with a figure.

Zimbabwe's debt

Where Zimbabwe ranks in Africa

More on Zimbabwe

Method and sources

Frequently asked questions