Definition: Debt service

Category: IMF terminology

Scheduled interest and principal payments (amortization) due on public and publicly guaranteed debt outstanding during a year.
(Online IMF financial glossary)

Refers to payments in respect of both principal and interest. Actual debt service is the set of payments actually made to satisfy a debt obligation, including principal, interest, and any late payment fees. Scheduled debt service is the set of payments, including principal and interest, that is required to be made through the life of the debt.
(External debt statistics) http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/glossary/showTerm.asp International Monetary Fund (IMF), "External Debt Statistics: Guide for Compilers and Users"