According to the Association of Lebanese Banks (ABL), gross public debt grew to $70.3B by December 2015, indicating a 5.63% increase on a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis.
Public debt denominated in Lebanese pounds, accounting for 61.5% of overall debt, registered a 5.58% yearly increase to reach $43.25B by December 2015.
As for debt in foreign currency, it increased by 5.72% on a y-o-y basis to reach $27.06B in December 2015.
Net public debt, which excludes public sector deposits at Lebanese commercial banks and at the Central Bank, grew by 7.39% y-o-y to $61.54B by December.
In December alone, Lebanese commercial banks remained the top holders of Lebanon’s public debt denominated in local currency with a share of 45.8%, followed by a stake of 37.3% for the Central Bank of Lebanon and a 16.9% share for the non-banking sector.
Share of Holders of Local Currency Debt
| Dec-14 | Dec-15 | |
| Commercial Banks | 51.00% | 45.80% |
| Central Bank | 32.10% | 37.30% |
| Non-Banking Sector | 16.90% | 16.90% |
Source: Association of Lebanese Banks