A new report by British asset manager Janus Henderson said that global sovereign debt is expected to surge by 9.5% this year to a record $71.6 trillion. The increase in debt will primarily be driven by the United States, Japan and China.
According to the research published on Wednesday, governments across the world have ramped up borrowing since the Covid-19 pandemic as they try to shield their economies from the fallout.
China’s debt rose the fastest and by the most in cash terms, up a fifth or by $650 billion last year, Janus data shows. Among the large, developed economies, Germany saw the biggest increase in percentage terms, with its debt skyrocketing by 15%, almost twice the average global pace.