24 Jun

The International investment position and External Debt statistics, First Quarter 2026

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) and the Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA)

The net stock of the international investment position (IIP) amounted to USD 11,437 million at the end of the first quarter of 2026

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) and the Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA) announced the preliminary results of the International Investment Position (IIP), and External Debt statistics for Palestine as of end of the first quarter 2026.

The preliminary results of the IIP (external assets – foreign liabilities) for Palestine at the end of the first quarter of 2026 revealed that the net IIP amounted to USD 11,437 million.

Currency and deposits accounted for 56% of the total external assets of the Palestinian economy at the end of the first quarter of 2026. This is mainly due to the absence of a Palestinian national currency, as well as a 17% increase in clearance revenues held by Israel compared with the previous quarter.

The total stocks of External Assets for Palestinian economy amounted to USD 18,078 million, the Foreign Direct Investment Abroad contributed to 2%, and Portfolio Investments abroad reached 10%, while Other Foreign Investments Abroad (mainly currency and deposits) reached 78% and Reserve Assets amounted to 10%. 

58% of the total foreign liabilities on the Palestinian economy at the end of the first quarter of 2026 are foreign direct investment

The total stocks of foreign liabilities in Palestine (non-resident investments in Palestine) amounted to USD 6,641 million. Of this, foreign direct investment in Palestine accounted for 58%, ( mainly, banks, insurance and communication companies owned by non-residents in addition to buildings owned by non-residents households, amounted to USD 3,820 million), portfolio investments reached 10%, and other investments (mainly loans and deposits from abroad) amounted to 32%.

The Government's External Debt stock stabilized at about 1.3 billion US dollars at the end of the first quarter of 2026

The gross external debt of the Palestinian economic sectors reached USD 2,122 million, reflecting a decrease less than 1% compared with the previous quarter. Government sector debt represented 64% (this debt is to arab and international external financial institutions, mainly Al-Aqsa Fund, Qatar National Bank, and the World Bank), while debt of the banking sector (deposits of non-residents in banks operating in Palestine) accounted for 33%. Debt of other sectors (including non-bank financial corporations, non-financial corporations, NGOs, and the household sector) amounted to 2%, while intercompany lending between affiliated enterprises accounted for less than 1%.

The International Investment Position (IIP) is an accounting statement that records the stock of investments by residents in Palestine (individuals, institutions, and the government) in the rest of the world (abroad), under the category of assets. It compares these with the stock of investments held by non-residents (individuals, institutions, and the government abroad) in Palestine, under the category of liabilities.

The Balance of Payments Manual – fifth edition, issued by the International Monetary Fund in 1993 – divides assets and liabilities into direct investment (investment of 10% or more in non-resident capital), portfolio investment (investment of less than 10% in non-resident capital, as well as investment in bonds), and other investments. These other investments include stocks of trade credit, loans, currency and deposits, and any other assets or liabilities. In addition, the Manual identifies reserve assets, i.e., stocks held by central banks or monetary authorities to address imbalances in the balance of payments. It is worth mentioning that reserve assets are recorded only on the asset side.

The External Debt is an accounting statement that records the debt stocks of Palestinian economic sectors owed to non-residents. These include loans from non-residents, deposits of non-residents held in banks operating in Palestine, Palestinian bonds purchased by non-residents, and debt transactions between non-resident enterprises and their fellow enterprises in Palestine. They also encompass any other liabilities of the Palestinian economy. The data on external debt are extracted from the liabilities side of the International Investment Position (IIP) matrix (debt items). The preparation, classification, and publication of these data are based on the External Debt Statistics Manual, issued by the IMF in 2003, which is harmonized with the fifth edition of the Balance of Payments Manual.

Issued on: 24/06/2026

Table 1: International Investment Position (IIP) Stock by Economic Sectors for Palestine, at the end of the First Quarter, 2026

 

   Value in million USD

TOTAL

Other Sectors

Banks Sector

Government Sector

Monetary Authorities

    Economic Sector

 

 

 

 

 

Investments Stocks by

Type of Investment

House- Holds Sector

Non-bank Financial Corporations, Non-Financial Corporations, and NGOs Sector

 11,437

 1,056-

 1,127-

 8,889

 2,502

 2,229

International Investment Position (net)*

 18,078

 75

 919

 10,998

 3,857

 2,229

Total External Assets

 316

2

 314

0

0

0

   Foreign Direct Investment Abroad

 1,721

0

 463

 1,127

0

 131

   Portfolio Investments Abroad

 14,188

 73

 142

 9,871

 3,857

 245

   Other Investments Abroad

 10,153

 73

 11

 9,824

0

 245

      Of which: currency and deposits**

 1,853

0

0

0

0

 1,853

   Reserve Assets

 6,641

 1,131

 2,046

 2,109

1,355

0

Total Foreign Liabilities

 3,820

 1,131

 1,496

 1,193

0

0

   Foreign Direct Investment in Palestine

 710

0

 503

 207

0

0

   Foreign Portfolio Investments in Palestine

 2,111

0

 47

 709

1,355

0

   Foreign Other Investments in Palestine:

 1,459

0

 47

57

1,355

0

      Of which: loans from abroad

 652

0

0

 652

0

0

      Of which: currency and deposits***

 

Note- The data in the above table are close to the nearest integer.

- The data does not include the value of land owned by non-residents.

* International investment position (net): equals total external assets minus total foreign liabilities.

** Currency and deposits: Include the resident's deposits in banks abroad, in addition to foreign exchange in Palestinian economy.

*** Currency and deposits: Include the deposits of non-residents deposited in resident banks.

 

Table 2: Gross External Debt Position on Palestine, at the End of the

Fourth Quarter, 2025 and First Quarter, 2026

 

     Value in million USD

Stock at the end of the  First Quarter 2026

Stock at the end of the    Fourth Quarter 2025

Economic Sector

1,355

1,359

General Government

421

403

   Short-term

934

956

   Long-term

0

0

Monetary Authorities

0

0

   Short-term

0

0

   Long-term

709

708

Banks

336

384

   Short-term

373

324

   Long-term

47

47

Other Sectors

0

0

   Short-term

47

47

   Long-term

11

11

Direct Investment: lending between affiliated companies

0

0

   Debt liabilities to affiliated companies

11

11

   Debt liabilities to direct investors

2,122

2,125

Gross External Debt Position