<ARTICLE> 6
<CIK> 0000817473
<NAME> AMERICAN CAPITAL STRATEGIES, LTD.
<MULTIPLIER> 1,000
<CURRENCY> US DOLLARS

                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          DEC-31-2000
<PERIOD-START>                             DEC-31-1999
<PERIOD-END>                               JUN-30-2000
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                                  1.000
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST>                          401,980
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE>                         486,242
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<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                 509,600
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES>                             0
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<SENIOR-EQUITY>                                      0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON>                       380,391
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK>                           24,677
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR>                           18,252
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<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS>                             0
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<DIVIDEND-INCOME>                                  293
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<EXPENSES-NET>                                   6,294
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<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS>                                0
<EQUALIZATION>                                       0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME>                       17,195
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<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN>                            17.08
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<EXPENSE-RATIO>                                  0.017