Average public debt relative to GDP in the OIC member countries has increased from 36.7% in 2012 to 46.1% in 2015 and is expected to rise to 51.1% in 2017. The amount of outstanding gross public debt relative to GDP is, however, very heterogeneous among OIC member countries, ranging between 3% and 139%. The highest average debt to GDP ratios are expected in low income OIC countries in the next years. High income OIC countries are expected to experience the largest increases in the average debt to GDP ratios. Different debt dynamics also arise among regional groups. Several African countries have been granted debt relief or restructuring in the last decade. Consequently, debt ratios have substantially decreased between 2006 and 2009 in the African group but have slightly risen afterwards. The average debt to GDP ratio in the Asian group has been on a relative stable path. The average debt to GDP ratio in the Arab group has increased since 2014 as the decline in oil prices had negative effects on the economies of oil producing countries. While the fiscal buffers of some OIC member countries are expected to be capable of absorbing the predicted budget deficits following lower oil revenues for some years, other OIC member countries have to issue substantial amounts of debt. The average grant element in OIC countries has been about 50% since 2006, similar to the worldwide average. Grants are primarily extended by official creditors, i.e. international organizations and governments, while private credit contracts rarely have a grant element. Grants to low income countries are more generous than to middle income countries. The grant element is particularly high in the African group. The share of short-term debt in total public debt in the OIC member countries has decreased from 68.1% in 2006 to 54.5% in 2015 (slightly above the worldwide average of 52%). Official creditors sign contracts with maturities similar to the worldwide average at around 21 years on average. Private creditors extend their credit for an average period of approximately 4 years (below the worldwide average of 5 years). The maturity of new debt contracts is significantly larger in low income countries than in middle income countries […]