Growth of Armenia`s gross foreign debt for 12 years to 12% (up to $ 9.95 billion) are mainly conditioned by government loans

ArmInfo. Armenia's gross foreign debt grew by 12% or $ 1.02 billion in 2006 to $ 9.952 billion (against growth of 6% in 2015). According to the National Statistical Service of the Republic of Armenia, only for the IV quarter of 2016 gross foreign debt increased by 7.7% or $ 711.5 million (against growth of 3.2% in the IV quarter of 2015). For 2012-2016 gross external debt of Armenia increased by 30.4% or $ 2.3 billion.

In the structure of the gross foreign debt of Armenia, the largest share is accounted for the state administration bodies - 44.28% or $ 4.4 billion, with a slowdown in annual growth from 14.7% to 12.8%, but only in the IV quarter by 4.8% (against 8, 3% growth in the IV quarter of 2015). Moreover, long-term loans dominate in the government's debt, the share of which in the annual section has increased from 75.6% to 77.3%, against almost 100% five years earlier. The second place by the size of the foreign debt for banks - 23.4% or $ 2.3 billion with the annual dynamics of 8.7% decline to the 9.5% growth, but only for the IV quarter by 13.9% (against Decline by 0.8% in the IV quarter of 2015). Moreover, long-term loans prevail in the foreign debt of banks, the share of which declined from 52.4% annual to 45.9% ($ 1.05 billion), and in the five-year period from 68.4%. The private sector is on the third place, its share in the gross foreign debt decreased from 16.8% to 15.54% ($ 1.55 billion), with a slowdown in annual growth from 7.1% to 6.2%, but only in the IV quarter by 6.2% (against 15.4% growth in the fourth quarter of 2015), with long-term loans continuing to dominate - 87.1% or $ 1.35 billion (against 86.7% in 2015). Inter-company loans are on the fourth place, the share of which in the gross foreign debt increased from 10.1% to 10.49% ($ 1.04 billion), with a slowdown in the annual growth of the absolute value from 18.7% to 10.6%, but only in the IV quarter by 13% (against the decline of 7.9% in the IV quarter of 2015). The share of the Central Bank in the gross foreign debt decreased from 6.7% to 6.29% ($ 626 million) during this year, with the annual growth rate of the absolute value decline from 5.7% to 4.2%, but only in the IV quarter by a decline of 1.2% (against a 0.4% decline in the IV quarter in 2015), and in the Central Bank's debt the lion's share is long-term loans - 81% or $ 507.12 million.

Gross foreign assets increased by 22.5% in 2016 to $ 4.9 billion, resulting in the net foreign debt growth by 2.4% to $ 5.02 billion. In IV quarter 2016 alone, gross foreign assets increased by 16.8%, which increased gross foreign debt by 7.7%, the net foreign debt increased only by 0.2%. For 2012-2016, gross foreign assets increased by 1% (from $ 4.885 billion), but due to the growth of gross foreign debt by 30.4% (from $ 7.629 billion), net foreign debt increased by 82.8% (from $ 2.744 billion).

To note, in 2015 gross foreign debt of Armenia grew by 6%, gross foreign assets by 5.3%, resulting in net foreign debt increased by 6.5%. In the structure of the gross foreign debt of Armenia, the largest share fell to the state administration bodies - 43.2% or $ 3.9 billion with an annual growth by 14.7%. Then follow:  banks - 23.6% or $ 2.1 billion with an annual decline by 8.7%; the private sector - 16.8% or $ 1.5 billion with annual growth by 7.1%; inter-company loans - 10.1% or $ 944.4 million with annual growth by 18.7%; the Central Bank of Armenia - 6.7% or $ 600.7 million with an annual growth by 5.7%. In 2012- 2015, gross foreign assets decreased by 18.4%, but due to the growth of gross foreign debt by 17%, net foreign debt increased by 81.5%.