Tajikistan's public debt amounted to $3.5 billion as of January 1, 2026, representing 19.2% of the country's GDP, the country's Minister of Finance, Faiziddin Qahhorzoda, told reporters in Dushanbe on February 13.
According to Qahhorzoda, $3 billion (87% of the total debt) constitutes external debt, while $500 million (13%) is internal debt.
To recall, on January 1, 2025, Tajikistan’s total national debt was $3.6 billion, or 25.2% of GDP. Of that amount, $3.2 billion (89%) was external debt, and $400 million (11%) was internal debt.
The minister also noted that last year, the Ministry of Finance, in cooperation with other ministries and departments, signed 31 agreements for the implementation of 25 state investment projects worth a total of $619 million.
ИЗОБРАЖЕНИЕ Finance Minister Faiziddin Qahhorzoda
He emphasized that $504.6 million was allocated for servicing the external debt in 2025, of which $416.3 million was used to repay the principal debt and $88.3 million was spent on interest payments.
"The government has arranged its financial obligations in line with the approved plan," Qahhorzoda stated. He further mentioned that there were no deviations from the plan for servicing debts to international financial organizations and specific countries.
The country's main external creditor remains the Export-Import Bank of China, with the debt to this institution, according to the minister, gradually reduced to nearly $700 million.
Tajikistan also owes the World Bank (about $380 million), the Asian Development Bank (over $250 million), the Islamic Development Bank (more than $250 million), the International Monetary Fund ($195 million), and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development ($165 million).
Public debt, or national debt, is the total financial obligation a government owes to creditors, including individuals, businesses, and foreign nations. It represents the cumulative sum of money borrowed to cover annual budget deficits. Key forms include treasury bonds and loans used to fund public services, infrastructure, and economic development.