Top 10 African countries with the lowest debt to the IMF in April 2025
While the International Monetary Fund (IMF), can be useful during times of crisis, staying relatively debt-free provides considerable benefits to African countries, including economic autonomy and global legitimacy.
Business Insider Africa presents the top 10 African countries with the lowest debt to the IMF in April 2025.
This list is courtesy of data from the International Monetary Fund.
Lesotho ranks number 1 on the list.
Financial independence from organizations like the IMF is more than just a mark of distinction in a time when instability across the world is commonplace; it is a weapon for strategic growth and resilience.
Low IMF debt gives African nations more legitimacy, independence, and flexibility. They can establish long-term strategies free from temporary conditions, invest in their people without outside permission, and handle crises without panic.
A low IMF debt indicates fewer external restrictions for national policy actions.
Countries that do not rely on IMF bailouts or extended loan facilities have greater leeway to create and implement economic plans that are suited to their development objectives.
This independence is extremely useful in today's economic context, when governments must respond quickly to local challenges such as inflation, currency volatility, and rising food costs.
Without IMF-imposed budgetary objectives or subsidy cuts, authorities can explore local solutions to safeguard their most vulnerable populations.
For context, the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD), a lobby group advocating for debt cancellation and addressing loan-related issues in Africa, named four African countries that are on the brink of debt default.
These countries are Zambia, Ghana, Ethiopia, and Chad.
While their debt are not the IMF alone, the report underscores the importance of maintaining low levels of debt, as all four countries listed also currently have very complex economic realities.
With that said, here are the African countries with the lowest debt to the International Monetary Fund in April 2025, as seen on the IMF's website.
Top 10 African countries with the lowest debt to the IMF in April 2025
Rank Country Total IMF Credit Outstanding ($) as of 04/28/2025
1. Lesotho 11,660,000
2. Eswatini 19,625,000
3. Comoros 19,887,940
4. Sao Tome & Principe 27,411,726
5. Djibouti 31,800,000
6. Guinea-Bissau 52,291,400
7. Equatorial Guinea 59,843,334
8. Cabo Verde 72,116,000
9. Somalia 87,000,000
10. Seychelles 99,839,500
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