BEIJING, March 27 (Xinhua) -- China's external debt remained generally stable, with outstanding external debt reaching nearly 2.33 trillion U.S. dollars at the end of last year, official data showed on Friday.

This figure was down 15.5 billion dollars, or 0.7 percent, from the end of 2024, according to data released by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.

China's external debt currency structure had improved in 2025, while the maturity structure remained basically stable, said Li Bin, deputy head and spokesperson of the administration.

At the end of 2025, local currency-denominated external debt had accounted for 55.5 percent of the total, up 1.4 percentage points from the end of 2024, said Li.

In terms of maturity structure, medium- and long-term external debt accounted for 43.5 percent of the total at the end of 2025, down 0.6 percentage points from the end of 2024, Li noted.

Data also revealed that at the end of last year, China's ratio of outstanding external debt to gross domestic product had stood at 11.9 percent, while the ratio of outstanding external debt to export revenue was 56.3 percent.

These indicators remained within internationally recognized safety thresholds, and China's external debt risks are generally controllable, Li explained. ■