Global Development Finance 2012: External Debt of Developing Countries is a continuation of the World Bank's publications Global Development Finance, Volume II (1997 through 2009) and the earlier World Debt Tables (1973 through 1996). As in previous years, GDF 2012 provides statistical tables showing the external debt of 129 developing countries that report public and publicly guaranteed external debt to the World Bank's Debtor Reporting System (DRS). It also includes tables of key debt ratios for individual reporting countries and the composition of external debt stocks and flows for individual reporting countries and regional and income groups along with some graphical presentations.

GDF 2012 draws on a database maintained by the World Bank External Debt (WBXD) system. Longer time series and more detailed data are available from the Global Development Finance 2012 on CD-ROM and the World Bank open databases, which contain more than 200 time series indicators, covering the years 1970 to 2010 for most reporting countries, and pipeline data for scheduled debt service payments on existing commitments to 2018.

The database covers external debt stocks and flows, major economic aggregates, and key debt ratios, as well as average terms of new commitments, currency composition of long-term debt, and debt restructuring in greater detail than can be included in the GDF book. The CD-ROM also contains the full contents of the print version of GDF 2012. Text providing country notes, definitions, and source information is linked to each table. World Bank open databases are available through the World Bank's website, http:// www.worldbank.org.

Global Development Finance 2012: External Debt of Developing Countries is unique in its coverage of the important trends and issues fundamental to the financing of the developing world. This report is an indispensable resource for governments, economists, investors, financial consultants, academics, bankers, and the entire development community.