Gross external debt statistics are harmonized with BOP statistics. They include both public sector (general government, public corporations and national bank) and private sector (banking and other sectors) external debt. External debt statistics are compiled according to the methodology provided by the IMF's "External Debt Statistics: Guide for Compilers and Users" (2003).

The gross external debt of Georgia amounted to 17.5 billion USD (42.2 billion GEL) as of 31^st March 2018 and 111.5 percent of the last four quarters'  GDP. During the first quarter of 2018 the gross external debt of Georgia increased by 192.6 million USD. Out of that 238.3 million USD increase were due to exchange rate changes and transactions also lead to it's increase by 21.0 million USD. While price and other changes lead to its decrease by 57.0 and 9.7 million USD, respectively.

Public sector external debt amounted to 7.4 billion USD (17.9 billion GEL) or 47.3 percent of GDP. Out of which, debt of the general government amounted to 5.4 billion USD (13.0 billion GEL) or 34.5 percent of GDP. External liabilities of the National Bank of Georgia amounted to 297.7 million USD (718.8 million GEL) or 1.9 percent of GDP. And, the bonds and loans of public enterprises were correspondingly 824.5 million USD (2.0 billion GEL) or 5.3 percent of GDP and 892.2 million USD (2.2 billion GEL) and 5.7 percent of GDP.

Banking sector external debt amounted to 3.8 billion USD (9.2 billion GEL) or 24.3 percent of GDP; Other sectors' external debt stood at 5.4 billion USD (13.0 billion GEL) or 34.3 percent of GDP; While 2.6 billion USD (6.3 billion GEL) or 16.6 percent of GDP was the intercompany lending. The 90.9 percent of the gross external debt of Georgia was denominated in foreign currency.

The net external debt of Georgia amounted to 10.6 billion USD (25.5 billion GEL or 67.4 percent of GDP) as of 31st March 2018. Net public sector external debt was 4.4 billion USD (10.5 billion GEL or 27.8 percent of GDP).

External liabilities of the National Bank of Georgia increased by 6.3 million USD, out of that, transactions led to increase of the debt by 0.2 million USD and exchange rate changes - by 6.1 million USD. By the end of the first quarter of 2018, the external debt of the National Bank of Georgia amounted to 297.7 million USD, of which 209.6 million USD are Special Drawing Rights (SDR)¹ which have no maturity date, therefore  there is no obligation to repay them as long as Georgia is a member of the IMF.

 

The presented statistical information is published on the website of the National Bank of Georgia under the heading “Statistics”: https://www.nbg.gov.ge/index.php?m=306&lng=eng#external


_____________________________________

¹Allocated SDR is international reserve asset created by the IMF that is allocated to member countries in proportion to their IMF quotas. Allocated SDR is a liability that has no maturity date, therefore there is no obligation to repay them as long as the country is a member of the IMF. The amount of the above mentioned allocated SDR is presented in the assets of the National Bank and thereafter the net liability of the National Bank equals zero. From 2009, the IMF changed its methodological treatment towards SDR and, according to the new approach, allocated SDR is also recorded in liabilities.