Egypt’s external debt rose to US$161.23 billion by the end of June, compared to $ 156.689 billion at the end of March, an increase of $4.541 billion, according to a report issued by the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) on Tuesday.
The report stated that long-term external debt reached $130.315 billion, while short-term debt amounted to $30.914 billion.
The total external debt owed by the government reached $81.993 billion by the end of June, compared to $82.039 billion at the end of March.
The CBE’s outstanding debt balance reached $37.335 billion, compared to $34.033 billion, while the outstanding debt balance owed by banks reached $ 22.236 billion, compared to $20.894 billion.
Egypt’s external debt rose by approximately six billion dollars since the beginning of this year, reaching $161.2 billion.
It had previously been $155.1 billion in December 2024 – up from $152.9 billion in June 2024.
According to previous CBE data, the majority of the external debt is long-term, amounting to approximately $126.9 billion, while short-term debt is around $26 billion.
Economic expert Ashraf Gharab affirmed that the rise in external debt is not a cause for concern, given the state’s ability to meet its repayment schedule and fulfill its external obligations on time.
He explained that Egypt remains within the safe limits for external debt, which does not exceed 40 percent of the GDP, a figure lower than the 50 percent threshold considered a maximum by international institutions.
Gharab added that the recent increase in external debt is linked to financing major productive and infrastructure projects in the energy, transportation, ports, and communications sectors.
These are long-term investments capable of generating future returns that will support debt repayment and alleviate the burden on the public budget, he explained.
