The Lebanese Gross Public Debt (GPD) reached $69.03B (LBP 104,582B) in H1 2015, broadening by 5.02% year-on-year (y-o-y) and 3.69% year-to-date (y-t-d). Thus, Lebanon’s public debt reached 137.94% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP)in June compared to 136.75% in December 2014.
Debt in domestic currency, representing 61.41% of total gross debt, grew by a yearly 6.96% to reach the equivalent of $42.38B in June, while foreign currency debt increased by 2.06% y-o-y to stand at $26.64B.
The Net Public Debt, which excludes public sector deposits at commercial banks and the Central Bank (BdL), grew by 8.23% annually to $59.46B and registered a 3.76% y-t-d increase in June 2015. Worth noting that public sector deposits have actually fallen yearly by 11.32% from $10.78B in June 2014 to $9.56B this year.
Commercial banks remained the largest subscribers to Treasury bills (local currency debt) with a share of 48.2%, followed by 34.9% stake for BdL and 16.9% for the non-banking sector.
Share of Local Debt and Foreign Debt from Gross Public Debt in June
Source: Association of Banks in Lebanon