Ghana is ranked 5th in Africa with the highest debt to the International Monetary Fund in October 2025.
According to the latest data from the Fund, Ghana’s outstanding loan to the IMF was 2.59 billion Special Drawing Rights (SDR).
Egypt is ranked 1st in Africa with the highest outstanding loan in Africa, with a total debt of 6.89 billion SDR.
From 2nd to 4th are Côte d’Ivoire (3.10 billion SDR), Kenya (3.01 billion SDR and Angola (2.66 billion SDR).
Meanwhile, Nigeria and Morocco continue to be out of the top ten.
The IMF loans provide temporary relief to member countries, while also leading to a potentially troublesome debt.
A high level of IMF borrowing increases a country’s overall debt, a situation that requires prudent fiscal management.
The loans often come with conditions, placing further constraints on the government’s financial flexibility.