ESCWA Publication: E/ESCWA/CL3.SEP/2021/POLICY BRIEF.3
Country: Arab region
Publication Type: Policy briefs
Cluster: Shared Economic Prosperity
Focus Area: Debt and fiscal policy
Initiatives: Financial & macroeconomic statistics for National accounts, Debt Optimization to Enhance Fiscal Space, Public finance and inclusive fiscal policy
SDGs: Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Keywords: Covid-19, Debt, Debt relief, Debt management, Debt restructuring, Liquidity, Public debt, Monetary policy, Fiscal policy, Debt servicing
Liquidity shortage and debt: Obstacles to recovery in the Arab region
October 2021
COVID-19 has pushed gross public debt in the Arab region to a historic high of $1.4 trillion, putting some of the middle-income countries (MICs) and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries at high risk of debt vulnerability.
The 2010s have witnessed an unprecedented rise in public debt worldwide as well as in the Arab region. In 2020, global public debt reached a staggering 100 per cent of global gross domestic product (GDP), compared to 65 per cent of global GDP in 2008. In the Arab region, public debt reached 60 per cent of GDP in 2020, up from 25 per cent of GDP in 2008.
Related content
Debt and fiscal policy
,
COVID-19 has pushed gross public debt in the Arab region to a historic high of $1.4 trillion, putting some of the middle-income countries (MICs) and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries at high risk of debt vulnerability.
The 2010s have witnessed an unprecedented rise in public debt worldwide as well as in the Arab region. In 2020, global public debt reached a staggering 100 per cent of global gross domestic product (GDP), compared to 65 per cent of global GDP in 2008. In the Arab region, public debt reached 60 per cent of GDP in 2020, up from 25 per cent of GDP in 2008.
