Latin American and Caribbean Public Debt Management Specialists Group (2019). Latin America and the Caribbean Standardized Public Debt Database: Data as of June 2019. IDB Open Data. https://doi.org/10.60966/l44bf7le

1. English

What is this dataset?

The Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Public Debt Database — 2019 II Edition provides standardized and comparable data on government debt across 26 countries in the region.
Developed by the LAC Debt Group and coordinated by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), it is the main public debt database for tracking government debt in Latin America (2019) and enabling regional fiscal analysis.

Why is this database created?

The LAC Debt Group designed this initiative to support sound fiscal policy by enhancing data transparency and comparability.
By standardizing sovereign debt data across countries, the database helps policymakers, debt managers, and researchers evaluate the composition, structure, and evolution of public debt in Latin America and the Caribbean.

What information does the dataset include?

The database contains official information reported by national Debt Management Offices (DMOs), organized by:
- Legislation (domestic vs. external debt)
- Creditor type (official, multilateral, or commercial)
- Currency composition (domestic vs. foreign)
- Maturity profile (short-, medium-, long-term)
- Debt instruments (loans, bonds, and others)

This structure enables comprehensive cross-country comparisons and analysis of debt sustainability trends.

What time period does the 2019 II edition cover?

The dataset includes biannual data from 2006 through December 2019, providing insight into debt developments in the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Which countries are included?

The 2019 II Public Debt Database covers 26 Latin American and Caribbean countries, including:

Latin America:
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela

Caribbean:
Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago

How is the data collected and standardized?

Each participating country’s Debt Management Office submits data via a standardized questionnaire designed by the LAC Debt Group.
This ensures that all indicators use consistent definitions and are methodologically comparable across countries and over time.

How often is the dataset updated?

Updates are released yearly, reflecting new submissions from participating DMOs and revisions in national data reporting.

Where can I find other editions of the Public Debt Database?

The LAC Debt Group’s Public Debt Database is released biannually, providing comparable and standardized data on sovereign debt across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Each edition reflects the latest information reported by participating countries and allows users to track the evolution of Latin American government debt over time.

Below are links to all available editions on the IDB Open Data Portal:

• December 2023 Edition — Latin America and the Caribbean Public Debt Database (Dec 2023)
  Contains biannual data through December 2023.

• June 2023 Edition — Latin America and the Caribbean Public Debt Database (Jun 2023)
  Covers data through June 2023.

• June 2022 Edition — Latin America and the Caribbean Public Debt Database (Jun 2022)
  Includes data through June 2022.

• December 2021 Edition — Latin America and the Caribbean Public Debt Database (Dec 2021)
  Provides data through December 2021.

• December 2020 Edition — Latin America and the Caribbean Public Debt Database (Dec 2020)
  Covers data through December 2020.

• December 2019 Edition — Latin America and the Caribbean Public Debt Database (Dec 2019)
  Contains data through December 2019.

• June 2019 Edition — Latin America and the Caribbean Public Debt Database (Jun 2019)
  Includes data through June 2019.

Each release maintains a consistent structure, methodology, and variable definitions, ensuring comparability across editions.
Researchers can combine multiple editions to construct a continuous time series of public debt data and evaluate trends in Latin American government debt.

What are the main uses of this dataset?

Users can employ this public debt database to:
- Analyze Latin America government debt (2019) and debt structure by country
- Track currency, maturity, and creditor composition of sovereign debt
- Conduct cross-country and regional comparisons of public debt sustainability
- Support research, policymaking, and fiscal transparency initiatives

What are the dataset’s limitations?

• Private and subnational debt are not included.
• Data coverage may vary depending on national reporting capacity.
• Some series may have been updated or revised in later editions (2020, 2021, 2023).

Where can I find global public debt data?

For Latin America and the Caribbean, the IDB’s Standardized Public Debt Database provides biannual sovereign debt statistics from 2006 to 2019. Globally, the IMF’s Global Debt Database and the World Bank’s International Debt Statistics are the main repositories.

Does the IDBk dataset provide national debt statistics by country?

This IDB dataset covers 26 LAC countries, with debt classified by legislation (internal vs external), creditor type, currency, and maturity. Each country’s central government and central bank debt is included, allowing national-level comparisons.

What are the key historical trends in public debt worldwide?

The LAC database tracks the evolution of debt from 2006 through June 2019. It shows rising debt-to-GDP ratios after the 2008 crisis, stabilization in the mid-2010s, and renewed increases leading up to 2019, particularly in Argentina and Brazil.