The report of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), entitled "Debt and Public Fiscal Prospects for the Arab Region", warned of an increase in the external debt service ratio in Arab countries, after the public debt due from 2010 to 2023 swelled by $ 880 billion in the Arab region, while the real value of regional GDP increased by about $ 791 billion.
The cost of borrowing from the market remained above 5 percent for domestic and foreign currency debt in middle-income countries, while economic growth remained below 3 percent.
The report showed that external debt service in middle-income Arab countries accounted for more than 15 percent of public revenues in 2023, compared to about 7 percent in 2010, and reached a record $ 40 billion in 2024.
