Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/238107 
Year of Publication: 
2021
Series/Report no.: 
Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies Working Paper No. HEIDWP16-2021
Publisher: 
Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva
Abstract: 
This article introduces the Haitian Independence Debt of 1825 to the odious debt and sovereign debt literatures. We argue that the legal doctrine of odious debt is surprisingly and perhaps indefensibly narrow possibly because of historical contingency rather than any underlying logic or principle. The story of the Haitian Independence Debt of 1825 serves as an illustrative case study. In the context of telling that story, we provide estimates of the evolution of Haiti's external debt-to-GDP ratio over 1825-2020, and discuss the implications of the independence debt for the economy of Haiti. We conclude by discussing the implications of Haiti's Independence Debt for the doctrine of odious debt and the possibilities for Haiti to recover compensation.
Subjects: 
Haiti
Odious Debt
Debt and Growth
JEL: 
G15
H63
K34
O54
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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