Business Bank Credit Access Statistics in Timor-Leste (2026)

As of the 2021 data, 8.3% of firms in Timor-Leste had a bank loan or line of credit, per World Bank World Development Indicators. Down from 14.9% in 2015 to 8.3% in 2021 (−6.6 percentage points). Timor-Leste ranks #21 of 21 economies in East Asia & Pacific on this measure, and #137 of 145 globally.

Latest value (2021)
8.3% (2021)
Business Bank Credit Access in Timor-Leste as of 2021, the most recent observation in World Bank World Development Indicators data.
Change since 2015
−6.6 pp (2021)
Down from 14.9% in 2015 to 8.3% in 2021 (−6.6 percentage points).
Earliest value in this dataset (2009)
6.9% (2009)
Earliest observation in this dataset, which covers 1990 onward (the source series may begin earlier). Up from 6.9% in 2009 to 8.3% in 2021.
Peak value (2015)
14.9% (2015)
Highest value in the available series; the 2021 value is 8.3%.
Rank in East Asia & Pacific
#21 of 21 (2021)
Timor-Leste ranks 21 of 21 countries in East Asia & Pacific with data, based on each country's latest value.
Global rank
#137 of 145 (2021)
Timor-Leste ranks 137 of 145 countries with data globally.
East Asia & Pacific average
30.6% (2021)
Timor-Leste (8.3%) is below the average of 30.6% across the 21 countries in East Asia & Pacific with data.
Firms using banks to finance working capital (% of firms) (2021)
5.3% (2021)
Related indicator from World Bank World Development Indicators.
Firms using banks to finance investment (% of firms) (2021)
12.7% (2021)
Related indicator from World Bank World Development Indicators.
Internet use in Timor-Leste (2021)
35% (2021)
35% of the population in Timor-Leste used the internet in 2021 (World Bank); shown for context only.
Population (2024)
1.4 million (2024)
Timor-Leste had a population of 1.4 million in 2024 (World Bank); shown for scale only.
Business Bank Credit Access in Timor-Leste by year (% of firms)
Year % of firms Change
2021 8.3%−6.6 pp
2015 14.9%+8.0 pp
2009 6.9%
Business Bank Credit Access in Timor-Leste, 2009–2021Line chart of 3 observations from 2009 to 2021. Values range from 6.9% to 14.9%; the series starts at 6.9% in 2009 and ends at 8.3% in 2021.5%7.5%10%12.5%15%2009201220142016201820216.9%8.3%
Fig. 1 — Business Bank Credit Access in Timor-Leste, 2009–2021

Frequently asked questions

What share of firms in Timor-Leste had a bank loan or line of credit?

8.3% of firms in Timor-Leste had a bank loan or line of credit in 2021, according to World Bank World Development Indicators data.

Where does Timor-Leste rank globally on business bank credit access?

Timor-Leste ranks 137 of 145 countries with data globally, based on the latest World Bank World Development Indicators value for each country.

When did business bank credit access in Timor-Leste peak?

The highest value in the available series was 14.9% in 2015; the latest (2021) value is 8.3%.

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator IC.FRM.BNKL.ZS, retrieved .

Figures are shown exactly as published in the source dataset; only the change column of the trend table is computed from adjacent published values.Read more on the methodology page. All figures are estimates and projections; this is not financial advice.

Last updated .