A global debt crisis is looming

Reform must prevent refinancing difficulties from becoming insolvency crises

Summarise
    • Wherever and whenever it is feasible, countries should diversify the currencies in which they borrow.
    • Wherever and whenever it is feasible, countries should diversify the currencies in which they borrow. PHOTO: CMG
    Published Thu, Oct 15, 2026 · 12:33 PM

    [WASHINGTON] The world is edging closer to a global debt crisis. The Iran war may have been the spark, but dry tinder has been piling up for quite a while.

    After a decade of debt accumulation, higher interest rates and growing refinancing needs have left the global economy increasingly exposed to shocks. And with ongoing conflicts driving up energy prices, renewed inflationary pressures are testing the limits of the existing debt architecture.

    The outlook is especially worrying for developing countries, where public debt totalled US$35 trillion in 2025, up 10.5 per cent in the space of a year.