El Salvador Short-term Debt
Short-term debt as % of total external debt DT.DOD.DSTC.ZS
El Salvador's short-term debt was 11.94% in 2025, ranked 50th globally. This represents a 12.5% increase from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1970–2025.
Overview
El Salvador's short-term debt stood at 11.94% in 2025, a rise of +1.32% from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 11.94% by 2025. El Salvador ranked 50th globally.
El Salvador’s short‑term external debt rose from a zero base in 1970 to a historic high of 36.27 % of gross capital formation in 2000, reflecting the fiscal pressures of the post‑civil‑war reconstruction period, before falling back to zero in 1976 during a decade of limited external borrowing. After a prolonged decline, the indicator reached 11.94 % in 2025, placing the country at rank 50 globally and aligning it closely with peers such as Paraguay (12.07 %) and Senegal (11.51 %). The recent increase coincides with a broader trend of rising short‑term financing in the region as governments address infrastructure gaps and social spending, but it remains modest compared with the early‑2000s peak. Continued fiscal consolidation, diversification of financing sources and stronger export performance could restrain further growth, while heightened reliance on short‑term markets would likely push the trajectory upward.
Data & projection
| Year | Short-term Debt | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027* trend | 12.46% | - | - |
| 2026* trend | 12.20% | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 11.94% | - | - |
| 2025 | 11.94% | +1.32% | #50 |
| 2024 | 10.61% | −2.12% | #68 |
| 2023 | 12.74% | +1.56% | #78 |
| 2022 | 11.18% | +0.08% | #67 |
| 2021 | 11.10% | +0.98% | #70 |
| 2020 | 10.12% | −2.73% | #66 |
| 2019 | 12.85% | +0.45% | #76 |
| 2018 | 12.41% | +0.52% | #74 |
| 2017 | 11.89% | −3.39% | #72 |
| 2016 | 15.27% | +2.34% | #86 |
| 2015 | 12.93% | −0.37% | #74 |
| 2014 | 13.30% | +0.19% | #74 |
| 2013 | 13.11% | +1.85% | #72 |
| 2012 | 11.27% | +1.66% | #63 |
| 2011 | 9.61% | +2.33% | #58 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
El Salvador matched the Stagflation Risk pattern in 1989. Historically, 38% of countries showing this pattern (117 out of 307) saw short-term debt improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
El Salvador's short-term debt was 11.94% in 2025. Ranked 50th globally. This represents a 12.5% increase from the previous year.
El Salvador's short-term debt peaked at 36.27% in 2000.
The lowest short-term debt in El Salvador was 0.00% in 1970.
El Salvador ranks 50th globally in short-term debt as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is DT.DOD.DSTC.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
El Salvador's short-term debt is projected to reach 11.94% by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The short-term debt of El Salvador in 2025 was 11.94%. This ranks 50th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_el-salvador_short-term-debt,
title = {El Salvador Short-term Debt},
url = {https://historysaid.com/el-salvador/short-term-debt/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}