WASHINGTON, November 5. /TASS/. The total debt of developing nations grew by 5.5% over the past year to reach a record $9.4 trillion, according to a World Bank report.
"The external debt of low-and-middle-income countries jumped 5.5 percent to a record $9.4 trillion in 2025, the fastest increase since 2021 and more than four times the average annual growth recorded from 2022 to 2024," the report says.
The sharpest increase was recorded among nations eligible for concessional financing through the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), with their debt rising by 8.1% to $1.3 trillion.
The organization emphasized that the debt-servicing burden on developing countries remained significant. Low- and-middle-income countries paid $1.4 trillion in principal and interest repayments, up 1.9% from the previous year.