Romania's total external debt went up 7.3 percent in the first quarter of the year, reaching EUR 86.03 billion, according to data from the Romanian Central Bank (BNR). At the end of last year, the country's foreign debt was of EUR 80 billion. The long – term and medium – term debt made 81.5 percent of the total amount.

The direct public debt, which includes external loans taken directly by the Finance Ministry and by the local authorities, grew by EUR 3.3 billion in the first three months of the year, to EUR 15.3 billion. The external debt guaranteed by the state went up 22 percent, to EUR 1.8 billion.

The public debt which was not guaranteed by the state actually went down EUR 780 million during this period, to a total of EUR 38.39 billion.

Servicing the external debt – short, medium and long-term - required EUR 8.6 billion in the first quarter of the year, out of which EUR 5.44 billion covered the short term debt.