Ghana 5th in Africa for IMF Outstanding Debt in August 2025
Ghana maintained its position as the fifth most indebted African country to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as of August 2025, with total outstanding credit of Special Drawing Rights (SDR) 2.70 billion. The figure was unchanged from July 2025, according to the Fund’s latest data.
Egypt topped the list with SDR 7.18 billion in outstanding credit, though this marked a slight decline compared to July. Côte d’Ivoire and Kenya followed in second and third place with SDR 3.10 billion and SDR 3.02 billion respectively.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Cameroon, and Zambia ranked between sixth and tenth.
While IMF support provides critical balance-of-payments financing and policy anchor, analysts caution that excessive reliance on the Bretton Woods institution can create long-term vulnerabilities. High exposure risks eroding economic sovereignty, as programme conditions often limit policy flexibility.
For African economies, managing IMF debt sustainably is therefore essential to avoid potential debt traps and safeguard growth prospects.
