External Debt Statistics and the World Bank Debtor Reporting System: Enhancing Consistency and Transparency

An integrated capacity building course on External Debt Statistics (EDS) and the World Bank Debtor Reporting System (DRS) was delivered for the first time at the JVI in January 2026. The course brought together mid to senior level officials from finance ministries and central banks across Europe and Central Asia.

The program was delivered in a blended format, combining short online learning modules with a two week, in person segment. This approach enabled participants to establish a shared conceptual foundation in advance, allowing the in-person phase to focus on practical application, discussion of country experiences, and peer exchange.

The course was jointly developed and led by the IMF’s Statistics Department (STA) and World Bank Development Data Group (DECDG), with contributions from across the IMF and World Bank, as well as the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD). This first delivery brought EDS and the DRS together within a single, integrated training framework, marking an important milestone in the collaboration between the IMF STA and DECDG.

By addressing international statistical standards and operational reporting requirements together, the course highlighted the increasingly close relationship between EDS and the DRS. This alignment was presented as a key to facilitating greater international methodological consistency and a clearer basis for linking national compilation practices with international debt monitoring and analysis.

The integrated presentation also supports a more coherent understanding of how external debt data are compiled, validated, reported, and ultimately used, reflecting ongoing efforts to strengthen the consistency of global debt statistics.

The course combined lectures with hands on exercises, country case studies, and structured discussions. Participants explored core EDS concepts and the updated DRS framework, including reporting requirements, validation procedures, and the treatment of different debtor sectors and debt instruments. They were introduced to the new DRS platform and gained hands on experience applying international statistical standards within their national institutional settings. Practical exercises examined how methodological choices and institutional arrangements affect reported outcomes and data consistency. UNCTAD presented developments related to the forthcoming version of the Debt Management and Financial Analysis System (DMFAS), which is used by most of the countries represented in the course, supports cross country exchange and underscores the importance of methodological coherence in external debt data systems.

Building on the strong engagement and experience gained from this first joint delivery, the IMF and the World Bank plan to continue offering the workshop in other regions, with both one week and two week formats to accommodate diverse country needs and institutional capacities.

Renato Pérez, Senior Economist, IMF

João Falcão Silva, Senior Economist, World Bank