Top 10 African countries with the highest debt to China

Business Insider Africa presents the top 10 African countries with the highest debt to China.
This list is courtesy of a report by Aid Data.
Angola ranks number one on the list.

From trains and highways to power plants and ports, Chinese funding has helped to accelerate Africa's economic growth and bridge infrastructural gaps.

However, although these loans have accelerated growth, they also present obstacles that may impede long-term development. These obstacles take the form of debt default.

The volume of borrowing from China has generated concerns over debt sustainability in some African countries.

It had earlier been reported that China’s financing in Africa dipped significantly in 2022, dropping below $1 billion.

This decrease as highlighted by data from Boston University's Global China Initiative, was in line with the challenges faced by several African nations in managing debt crises.

The data from the aforementioned institution showed that Chinese lenders are estimated to have provided $170 billion to Africa between 2000 and 2022, owing primarily to President Xi Jinping's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

While 2022, saw a significant decline in such initiatives, 2023 and subsequently, 2024 told a different story as the Chinese president opted to re-energize financing in Africa.

Chinese funding bounced back in 2023, totaling $4.61 billion, which marked the first annual increase since 2016.

Also, in 2024, President Xi Jinping stated that China will strengthen its support for Africa, providing about $51 billion in funding, increased infrastructure projects, and the creation of at least one million jobs.

The promises were presented during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit in Beijing.

With that said, here are the 10 African countries that currently owe the most money to China, as per a report by Aid Data.

On a side note, the figures below represent total debt to China in USD million as of 2000-2021.