OEC BotMarket · Economic Report

Argentina External Debt

Creditor structure, maturities, and debt trajectory — 2018–2023

OEC BotMarket Argentina · External Debt Reference Period: 2018–2023 March 2026
$252.8B
Total external debt
2023
40.0%
% of GNI
2023
$47.6B
IMF credit outstanding
2023
$55.1B
Short-term debt
2023

🏢 Debt Structure 2023

External debt stock by category (USD billions) — 2023. Max value = $150.1B (long-term).

Long-term debt
$150.1B
Short-term debt
$55.1B
IMF credit
$47.6B
Public & guaranteed (PPG)
$112.9B
Private non-guaranteed
$37.2B
PPG-dominant structure Public and publicly guaranteed debt at $112.9B represents 44.7% of total external obligations, reflecting Argentina's reliance on sovereign and multilateral borrowing. Long-term debt totals $150.1B, or 59.4% of total, while short-term debt accounts for 21.8% — up from a low of 16.7% in 2020.

📈 Total Debt Stock 2018–2023

Total external debt stock (USD billions). Max = $280.7B (2019).

2018
$277.8B
2019
$280.7B
2020
$255.6B
2021
$246.1B
2022
$249.0B
2023
$252.8B
Peak in 2019, gradual contraction through 2021 Total external debt peaked at $280.7B in 2019 following the 2018 IMF Stand-By Arrangement of over $30B. Debt declined steadily to $246.1B by 2021, then edged back up to $252.8B in 2023 as multilateral and bilateral net inflows resumed.

📊 Debt-to-GNI Ratio & Short-term Share

Year Total Debt (USD B) Debt / GNI Short-term share
2018 $277.8B 54.9% 24.4%
2019 $280.7B 65.3% 23.9%
2020 $255.6B 68.1% 16.7%
2021 $246.1B 51.6% 17.8%
2022 $249.0B 40.1% 19.8%
2023 $252.8B 40.0% 21.8%
Debt/GNI peaked at 68.1% in 2020 The ratio of external debt to GNI peaked at 68.1% in 2020, driven by the combination of a growing stock and a contracting GNI in USD terms. The subsequent improvement to 40.0% by 2023 reflects both lower debt levels and partial GNI recovery. Short-term debt as a share of total rose from its 2020 low of 16.7% back to 21.8% in 2023.

📅 Net Creditor Flows 2023

Net financial flows by creditor type (USD billions) — positive = net disbursement, negative = net repayment

Multilateral net flow
+$3.5B
Bilateral net flow
+$3.3B
World Bank (IBRD)
+$9.9B
Multilateral and bilateral net disbursements In 2023, Argentina received net inflows of $3.5B from multilateral creditors and $3.3B from bilateral creditors. World Bank (IBRD) net lending reached $9.9B — its largest component. By contrast, IMF non-concessional flows were negative at –$5.1B, reflecting repayments under the ongoing Extended Fund Facility program.

📌 Key Findings

IMF program repayment in progress The IMF non-concessional net flow was –$5.1B in 2023, reflecting net repayments under the Extended Fund Facility. Total IMF credit outstanding stands at $47.6B, making it the third-largest component of Argentina's external debt after long-term and short-term categories.
Debt-to-GNI below 2018 level At 40.0% of GNI in 2023, the debt ratio has improved substantially from the 2020 peak of 68.1% and is now below the 2018 entry level of 54.9%, reflecting both debt reduction and GNI recovery.
Short-term share rising again Short-term debt as a share of total increased from 16.7% in 2020 to 21.8% in 2023, reaching $55.1B. This signals a shift toward shorter maturities that may increase rollover risk in the near term.
Private non-guaranteed at $37.2B Private non-guaranteed debt stands at $37.2B (14.7% of total), while public and publicly guaranteed debt at $112.9B reflects Argentina's heavy reliance on sovereign-backed borrowing from official creditors.