BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. Debts owed by both public and private sectors to the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) had increased by 48 percent by the end of the last Iranian year (March 20, 2025), compared to the previous year (March 19, 2024).
Data obtained by Trend from CBI indicates that total debt to the CBI reached 18.5 quadrillion rials (about $31.8 billion), up from 12.5 quadrillion rials (about $21.4 billion) a year earlier.
Public sector debt, including government institutions and companies, stood at 6.78 quadrillion rials (about $11.7 billion), reflecting a 43 percent increase. Meanwhile, private sector debt rose by 51.7 percent, amounting to 11.7 quadrillion rials (about $20.2 billion).
The CBI’s total assets, both domestic and foreign, were valued at roughly 58 quadrillion rials (about $99.8 billion), a 62.3 percent increase compared to the previous year’s 35.7 quadrillion rials (about $61.5 billion). The statistics note that the bank’s assets include foreign holdings and loans extended to both the public and private sectors.
The CBI’s challenges have been compounded since the US imposed and expanded sanctions on Iran in 2018 over its nuclear program, which led to Iran's exclusion from the SWIFT payment system. This move significantly hampered Iran’s ability to conduct banking operations globally, leaving many Iranian bank branches and assets abroad effectively idle.
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