By the Numbers: Money trap
BY THE NUMBERS | Some nations that benefited from China’s lending program now face staggering bills
Illustration by Krieg Barrie
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$1.34 trillion
The value of grants and loans made to developing countries as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), according to William & Mary’s AidData research lab. While the BRI has poured money into infrastructure projects around the world, poor nations are struggling to repay debts, and critics argue China is leveraging the program to expand its influence.
20,985
The number of rail, harbor, highway, and other infrastructure projects undertaken through the BRI, according to AidData.
165
The number of nations—out of a global total of 195—that have participated in BRI projects.
44
The number of countries whose debt to China accounts for more than 10 percent of their gross domestic product. Fifty-five percent of the loans have entered the principal repayment period, with interest rates up to 8.7 percent if nations fall behind.
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