Public Debt: A Primer for Development Practitioners

under the Fiscal Accountability and Sustainable Trade Task Order for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The primer aims to provide an overview of public debt, its management, and sustainability, with a focus on low-income and middle-income countries. It covers topics such as why governments borrow, the risks of overborrowing, debt structure, debt sustainability, debt management, and debt restructuring. The document also includes case studies, text boxes, figures, and tables to illustrate key concepts and provide examples of debt management practices.