External debt at 65.4% of GDP

Malaysia’s external debt position remains manageable, given its favourable maturity profile, with medium and long-term debt accounting for 58.5% of the total while the balance 41.5% was short-term debt. — Bloomberg

EXTERNAL debt grew by 8.1% to RM1.17 trillion or 65.4% of gross domestic product (GDP) as at end-September 2022 (RM1.08 trillion in 2021), mainly due to higher offshore borrowings and non-resident deposits as well as foreign currency exchange rate valuation effects following the appreciation of the US dollar.

Offshore borrowings increased to RM646.7bil or 55.3% of the total, largely attributed to the higher interbank borrowings and net foreign currency-denominated loans by the private sector.