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DSRs are derived from aggregated data based on a unified methodology which captures the dynamics of DSRs over time. It is more meaningful to compare national DSRs over time (by, for instance, removing country-specific means) rather than compare their absolute levels which are difficult to pinpoint. This approach also takes account of different institutional and behavioural factors affecting average remaining maturities.

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Debt service ratios for the private non-financial sector – data documentation and sources

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https://www.bis.org/statistics/dsr/dsr_doc.pdf

Data are released every quarter. The publication date and the latest reference period are shown in the <a href='/release-calendar?filter=categoryId%3DDSR'>Statistics release calendar</a>.

How often and when are the debt service ratios updated?

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Explore the debt service ratios dashboard to get quick visual insights into our statistics, analyse country and global developments and build your own data stories. This data set measures the amount of income used for interest payments and amortisations.

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https://dataviz.bis.org/t/DataPortal/views/dsr/Main

Mathias Drehmann, Anamaria Illes, Mikael Juselius and Marjorie Santos

 Debt service ratios (DSRs) provide important information about the interactions between debt and the real economy, as they measure the amount of income used for interest payments and amortisations. Given this pivotal role, the BIS has started to produce and release aggregate DSRs for the total private non-financial sector for 32 countries from 1999 onwards. For the majority of countries, DSRs for the household and the non-financial corporate sectors are also available. This article explains the key concepts underlying the compilation of the new series and it shows that the DSRs are meaningful, even when derived from a relatively sparse set of aggregate data. A brief look at the evolution of DSRs in recent years highlights that they allow for a more comprehensive assessment of credit burdens than the credit-to-income ratio or simple measures of interest payments relative to income. 

How much income is used for debt payments? A new database for debt service ratios

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https://www.bis.org/publ/qtrpdf/r_qt1509h.htm

The BIS uses the <a href='/topics/TOTAL_CREDIT/data/BIS,PDQ_F2_1,1.0'>total credit to the private non-financial sector</a> series as input data. For the income and interest rate data, these are taken from a variety of national and international sources. The average maturity is assumed to be fixed across time and across countries for households and non-financial corporations.

What are the main sources for the debt service ratios?

The BIS does not disseminate the input data, apart from the <a href='/topics/TOTAL_CREDIT/data/BIS,PDQ_F2_1,1.0'>total credit to the private non-financial sector</a>.

Where can I find the data on the input series used for the debt service ratios?

The BIS estimates of debt service ratios rely on simplifying assumptions (eg remaining maturities being fixed across time and across countries). The BIS Quarterly Review feature published in September 2015, <a href='https://www.bis.org/publ/qtrpdf/r_qt1509h.htm' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>How much income is used for debt payments? A new database for debt service ratios</a>, shows that given these assumptions, it is difficult to pinpoint the level accurately and therefore it is more meaningful to compare national DSRs relative to their means rather than comparing their absolute levels. In a cross-country context, such an approach will also take account of different institutional and behavioural factors affecting average remaining maturities.

Is it appropriate to compare the levels of debt service ratios across countries?

Debt service ratios

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