Global Debt Hits Record US$365 Trillion in 2026

Global debt reached a record high of more than US$365 trillion during the first half of 2026. According to the Institute of International Finance, total debt across government, household, financial, and non-financial corporate sectors in more than 100 mature and emerging market economies grew by US$10 trillion in six months.

Borrowing in China and the United States accounted for the majority of this increase. This represents the sixth consecutive quarterly rise in global debt, a trend the organization suggests exposes vulnerabilities in corporate and household balance sheets.

Emre Tiftik, the director of global markets and policy at the Institute of International Finance, stated that this current wave of debt differs from previous spikes caused by the 2008 financial crisis or the Covid-19 pandemic.