Government & Public Finance•Series ID: HANFLSFDT•1988–2026
Australia’s Net Foreign Debt & Liabilities - Historical Data
Tracks Australia’s external debt position with the rest of the world from RBA Table I5 / ABS International Investment Position.
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Current Statistics & Historical Records
Latest Reading (2026 Q2)
$1,486.0b
Prev (2026 Q1): $1,422.7b+63,307
Highest Recorded (2026 Q2)
$1,486.0b
Recorded in 2026 Q2
Lowest Recorded (1988 Q3)
$102.1b
Recorded in 1988 Q3
Long-Run Mean (1988–2026)
$650.3b
39 annual observations · Quarterly
Australia’s Net Foreign Debt & Liabilities - Historical Series (1988–2026)
A$ millionDrag to pan, scroll to zoom, or toggle between full annual history (1988–2026) and recent quarterly releases.
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Source: Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (HANFLSFDT) Latest: 1486021 A$ million (2026 Q2)
Australia’s Net Foreign Debt & Liabilities by Decade (1988–2026)
Decade averages, peaks, and troughs across Australian economic cycles
1980s1988–1989
$115.1b
High (1989):$126,364
Low (1988):$103,810
1990s1990–1999
$188.7b
High (1999):$236,334
Low (1990):$141,559
2000s2000–2009
$457.8b
High (2008):$686,526
Low (2000):$290,156
2010s2010–2019
$953.3b
High (2019):$1,220,315
Low (2010):$636,368
2020s2020–2026
$1,304.9b
High (2026):$1,486,021
Low (2022):$1,183,882
Australia’s Net Foreign Debt & Liabilities - Historical Table (1988–2026)
Unit: A$ million · Source: Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (HANFLSFDT)
| Year | Net Foreign Debt (A$ million) | Year Range (Low – High) | Historical Context / Year Snapshot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $1,486,021 | $1,422,714 – $1,486,021 | The Australian Economy in 2026 → |
| 2025 | $1,446,481 | $1,368,109 – $1,446,481 | Disinflation & monetary policy recalibration |
| 2024 | $1,381,002 | $1,206,105 – $1,381,002 | The Australian Economy in 2024 → |
| 2023 | $1,185,937 | $1,149,076 – $1,200,597 | The Australian Economy in 2023 → |
| 2022 | $1,183,882 | $1,162,386 – $1,183,882 | Post-pandemic inflation surge & rapid RBA tightening cycle |
| 2021 | $1,236,612 | $1,203,477 – $1,241,180 | The Australian Economy in 2021 → |
| 2020 | $1,214,334 | $1,185,518 – $1,236,542 | COVID-19 pandemic shock & 0.10% cash rate floor |
| 2019 | $1,220,315 | $1,191,211 – $1,235,381 | The Australian Economy in 2019 → |
| 2018 | $1,174,980 | $1,100,617 – $1,174,980 | The Australian Economy in 2018 → |
| 2017 | $1,094,172 | $1,035,786 – $1,094,172 | The Australian Economy in 2017 → |
| 2016 | $1,056,831 | $1,052,295 – $1,075,336 | The Australian Economy in 2016 → |
| 2015 | $1,049,667 | $982,135 – $1,049,667 | The Australian Economy in 2015 → |
| 2014 | $949,212 | $870,970 – $949,212 | The Australian Economy in 2014 → |
| 2013 | $872,235 | $774,935 – $872,235 | The Australian Economy in 2013 → |
| 2012 | $768,245 | $726,030 – $768,245 | The Australian Economy in 2012 → |
| 2011 | $710,693 | $662,999 – $716,505 | China mining investment & Terms of Trade supercycle peak |
| 2010 | $636,368 | $636,368 – $677,678 | The Australian Economy in 2010 → |
| 2009 | $653,551 | $618,066 – $659,993 | The Australian Economy in 2009 → |
| 2008 | $686,526 | $596,294 – $686,526 | Global Financial Crisis (GFC) & emergency rate cuts |
| 2007 | $582,917 | $522,497 – $582,917 | The Australian Economy in 2007 → |
| 2006 | $514,041 | $472,958 – $514,041 | The Australian Economy in 2006 → |
| 2005 | $454,914 | $405,861 – $454,914 | The Australian Economy in 2005 → |
| 2004 | $398,226 | $361,966 – $398,226 | The Australian Economy in 2004 → |
| 2003 | $353,823 | $343,721 – $353,823 | The Australian Economy in 2003 → |
| 2002 | $342,522 | $304,636 – $342,522 | The Australian Economy in 2002 → |
| 2001 | $301,557 | $293,063 – $314,292 | The Australian Economy in 2001 → |
| 2000 | $290,156 | $253,813 – $290,156 | Introduction of the 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST) |
| 1999 | $236,334 | $222,645 – $236,334 | The Australian Economy in 1999 → |
| 1998 | $227,747 | $217,357 – $234,039 | The Australian Economy in 1998 → |
| 1997 | $214,061 | $196,276 – $214,061 | The Australian Economy in 1997 → |
| 1996 | $199,710 | $189,782 – $199,710 | The Australian Economy in 1996 → |
| 1995 | $189,860 | $177,308 – $189,860 | The Australian Economy in 1995 → |
| 1994 | $170,495 | $169,420 – $175,728 | The Australian Economy in 1994 → |
| 1993 | $180,608 | $168,365 – $180,608 | RBA formalises 2–3% inflation targeting |
| 1992 | $173,965 | $154,668 – $173,965 | The Australian Economy in 1992 → |
| 1991 | $152,378 | $142,849 – $152,378 | Early 1990s recession ("The recession we had to have") |
| 1990 | $141,559 | $130,999 – $141,559 | Monetary tightening peak (17.5% Cash Rate) |
| 1989 | $126,364 | $109,245 – $126,364 | The Australian Economy in 1989 → |
| 1988 | $103,810 | $102,137 – $103,810 | The Australian Economy in 1988 → |
Related Australian Economic Statistics
Current Account Balance (% of GDP)Trade & Industry · 1959–2026
-3.7%2026 Q2
10-Year Australian Government Bond YieldInterest Rates · 1949–2026
5.28%Sep 2026
Official Foreign Exchange & Gold ReservesGovernment & Public Finance · 1969–2026
$109.7bSep 2026
Compare Net Foreign Debt against another indicator →
Source Information & Methodology
- Primary Institution:
- Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
- Dataset / Publication:
- Australia’s Net Foreign Liabilities - Net Total Foreign Debt
- Series / Table ID:
- RBA Statistical Table I5 (HANFLSFDT)
- Release Frequency:
- Quarterly
• Primary source: Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) - Australia’s Net Foreign Liabilities - Net Total Foreign Debt (RBA Statistical Table I5).
• Observation frequency: Quarterly. Annual table values represent calendar year-end observations.
• Series coverage spans 1988 to 2026 (39 annual observations).
APA Citation:Reserve Bank of Australia & Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2026). Australia’s Net Foreign Liabilities - Net Total Foreign Debt (I5: HANFLSFDT). Retrieved October 2026 from https://www.rba.gov.au/statistics/tables/
Frequently Asked Questions: Australia’s Net Foreign Debt & Liabilities
- What is the current Australia’s Net Foreign Debt & Liabilities?
- As of 2026 Q2, the latest recorded Australia’s Net Foreign Debt & Liabilities is 1486021.0 (A$ million), compared with 1422714.0 in 2026 Q1.
- What is the highest and lowest Australia’s Net Foreign Debt & Liabilities ever recorded in Australia?
- Across the historical series (1988–2026), the highest observation was 1486021.0 (A$ million) in 2026 Q2, while the lowest was 102137.0 (A$ million) in 1988 Q3. The long-run historical average is 650311.0.
- Where is the official Australia’s Net Foreign Debt & Liabilities data sourced from?
- This series is compiled from Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (Australia’s Net Foreign Liabilities - Net Total Foreign Debt, Series ID: HANFLSFDT) and is updated on a quarterly basis under CC BY 4.0 International / RBA Terms.