<ARTICLE> 6
<CIK> 0000910068
<NAME> High Income Opportunity Fund Inc.

                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                  Year
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                               Sep-30-2000
<PERIOD-END>                                    Sep-30-2000
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST>                           701,599,191
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE>                          639,706,065
<RECEIVABLES>                                    23,241,241
<ASSETS-OTHER>                                          579
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS>                                      0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                  662,947,885
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES>                          8,096,230
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT>                                   0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES>                         2,476,601
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES>                              10,572,831
<SENIOR-EQUITY>                                           0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON>                        872,954,026
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK>                            69,227,252
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR>                            72,230,352
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT>                         1,795,010
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII>                                    0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS>                        (161,369,525)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS>                                  0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC>                        (61,004,457)
<NET-ASSETS>                                    652,375,054
<DIVIDEND-INCOME>                                   547,821
<INTEREST-INCOME>                                80,594,742
<OTHER-INCOME>                                            0
<EXPENSES-NET>                                    8,654,627
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME>                          72,487,936
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT>                        (60,064,452)
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT>                       (17,998,485)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS>                            (5,575,001)
<EQUALIZATION>                                            0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME>                        70,585,238
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS>                                  0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER>                                     0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD>                                   0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED>                       3,003,100
<SHARES-REINVESTED>                                       0
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS>                         (102,585,341)
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR>                          (1,389,020)
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR>                      (100,023,741)
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR>                                   0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR>                                0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES>                             8,172,741
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                        0
<GROSS-EXPENSE>                                   8,654,627
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS>                            710,392,061
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN>                                10.450
<PER-SHARE-NII>                                       1.060
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC>                              (1.080)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND>                                  1.010
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS>                             0.000
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL>                                  0.000
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END>                                   9.420
<EXPENSE-RATIO>                                        1.22