Debt — The Good. The Bad and The Ugly.

An interesting IMF conference focused on Public Debt.

When are debt levels too high? How can we reduce debt burdens in a fair and growth-friendly way? And how can we maximize the essential benefits of debt?

Global debt — both public and private — has reached an all-time high of $188 trillion. This amounts to about 230 percent of world output….

Public debt in advanced economies is at levels not seen since the Second World War. Emerging market public debt is at levels last seen during the 1980s debt crisis. And low-income countries have seen sharp increases in their debt burdens over the past five years…..

In fact, countries with room in their budgets should use this moment of low, or negative, interest rates to scale up productive public investments.

— Kristalina Georgieva, IMF Managing Director opening remarks

#ARCPolak

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