BUSINESS
Global debt surges to more than $28,000 per person
June 29, 2017 - Global debt has grown by US$75 trillion to $217 trillion in the decade since the 2007-08 financial crisis, reaching $28,900 for every man, woman and child in the world according to a new report.
Global debt levels stood at 327 percent of the world's annual economic output (GDP) in the first quarter of 2017, according to the Institute of International Finance (IIF).
A decade-long, $40 trillion borrowing spree in the developing world added to the debt since 2007, a significant acceleration from the $8.6 trillion added between 1996 and 2007.
Of $56 trillion of emerging market debt, China accounted for almost $33 trillion, led by household and company borrowing. Brazil accounted for $3.6 trillion and India for 2.9 trillion, the IFF said in its report.