Financial Squeeze on Poorest Economies Tightened as Private Creditors Retreated

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 2024—Developing countries spent a record $1.4 trillion to service their foreign debt as their interest costs climbed to a 20-year high in 2023, the World Bank’s latest International Debt Report shows. Interest payments surged by nearly a third to $406 billion, squeezing the budgets of many countries in critical areas such as health, education, and the environment.

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