STATISTICAL STUDY ON THE CORRELATION BETWEEN “GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT” AND “EXTERNAL DEBT” IN ROMANIA, IN THE PERIOD 2007-2024

“Gross domestic product” is the main indicator for assessing a country's economic growth, reflecting the final result of the production activity of resident manufacturing units. “External debt” reflects the totality of the financial obligations that resident entities of a country (which may be: the government, institutions, corporations or individuals) have to external creditors (which can be: international financial institutions, foreign banks or foreign governments). The relationship between Gross Domestic Product and External Debt is assessed mainly from two perspectives: GDP growth leads to a reduction in external debt, respectively, the increase in external debt is an obstacle to economic growth. This article analyzes the correlation between these two indicators in Romania, between 2007 and 2024.