The Bahamas’ National Debt Ends 2018 at $8.22Bn

• The Bahamas’ national debt finished 2018 at $8.22Bn, having increased by $335.3Mn last year, although GDP growth implied it fell slightly in proportion to the size of the economy.
• The Central Bank revealed that the country’s total debt - the government’s direct charge plus all borrowings it has guaranteed on behalf of public corporations and agencies - rose by $103.5Mn during the period.
• However, economic growth was sufficient to ensure that The Bahamas’ debt ratios were kept in check at year-end 2018. The government debt fell from 59% of GDP in 2017 to 58.9% at the end of 2018, with the total debt-to-GDP ratio also down slightly from 64.8% to 64.6% year-over-year.

(Source: Tribune 242)