Economy
The World Bank — World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0) · updated 2025-12-31
China's external debt stands at 2.28T as of 2025-12-31, down from 2.38T in 2024. Historical data runs from 1981 to 2025 (45 observations).
In 2025, China's external debt was 2.28T, down from 2.38T in 2024.
In 2024, China's external debt was 2.38T, down from 2.45T in 2023.
In 2023, China's external debt was 2.45T, down from 2.53T in 2022.
In 2022, China's external debt was 2.53T, down from 2.72T in 2021.
In 2021, China's external debt was 2.72T, up from 2.33T in 2020.
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.28T | -101.51B |
| 2024 | 2.38T | -68.43B |
| 2023 | 2.45T | -82.96B |
| 2022 | 2.53T | -193.85B |
| 2021 | 2.72T | +398.12B |
| 2020 | 2.33T | +212.07B |
| 2019 | 2.11T | +152.60B |
| 2018 | 1.96T | +218.04B |
| 2017 | 1.74T | +329.62B |
| 2016 | 1.41T | +80.14B |
| 2015 | 1.33T | -444.61B |
| 2014 | 1.78T | +297.90B |
| 2013 | 1.48T | +332.31B |
| 2012 | 1.15T | +93.95B |
| 2011 | 1.05T | +311.47B |
| 2010 | 742.74B | +288.24B |
| 2009 | 454.50B | +68.07B |
| 2008 | 386.42B | +8.67B |
| 2007 | 377.75B | +51.33B |
| 2006 | 326.42B | +40.56B |
| 2005 | 285.86B | +38.50B |
| 2004 | 247.36B | +40.18B |
| 2003 | 207.18B | +21.71B |
| 2002 | 185.47B | +1.15B |
| 2001 | 184.32B | +38.41B |
| 2000 | 145.91B | -2.92B |
| 1999 | 148.83B | +4.61B |
| 1998 | 144.21B | -2.69B |
| 1997 | 146.90B | +17.87B |
| 1996 | 129.04B | +10.72B |
| 1995 | 118.31B | +17.65B |
| 1994 | 100.67B | +14.57B |
| 1993 | 86.09B | +13.55B |
| 1992 | 72.54B | +12.28B |
| 1991 | 60.26B | +4.96B |
| 1990 | 55.30B | +10.37B |
| 1989 | 44.93B | +2.49B |
| 1988 | 42.44B | +7.10B |
| 1987 | 35.34B | +11.62B |
| 1986 | 23.72B | +7.02B |
| 1985 | 16.70B | +4.61B |
| 1984 | 12.09B | +2.48B |
| 1983 | 9.61B | +1.25B |
| 1982 | 8.36B | +2.56B |
| 1981 | 5.80B | — |
The World Bank — World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0) · Download this series as CSV — free, attribution required (CC BY 4.0).
China's external debt is 2.28T as of 2025-12-31, compared with 2.38T in 2024. The World Bank — World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
The highest recorded value is 2.72T (2021); the lowest is 5.80B (1981), across data from 1981 to 2025.
The World Bank — World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0) Figures are republished with attribution and updated as the source releases new observations.