What is Sustainable?

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Global Debt Ratios

Total Global Debt

Source: The Institute of International Finance; Axios Visuals

Global Debt As Share Of GDP

Source: The Institute of International Finance; Axios Visuals

Rise Of Debt

Global debt as a percentage of global GDP has moved up from roughly 100 percent in 1970 to well over 350 percent in 2020 – and the rate of increase is accelerating.

Government Debt

Global government debt rose more than 10 percent in 2022 driven by the U.S., Japan and China, but with the vast majority of countries continuing to increase borrowing.

Accummulation

The accumulation of public debt since 2007 is largely attributable to governments facing two major events: the global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.

National Debts

Source: World Economic Outlook Report, Oct. 2021

% Of Total Global Debt

Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF); Visual Capitalist, 2019
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