TwitterFacebookInstagramLinkedInYouTubeFlickr

Chart of the WeekThe Pre-Pandemic Debt Landscape—and Why It Matters

2021-02-02T10:19:45-05:00February 1, 2021|

By Xuehui Han, Paulo Medas, and Susan Yang

Many countries entered the pandemic with elevated debt levels. Our new update of the IMF’s Global Debt Database shows that global debt—public plus private—reached $197 trillion in 2019, up by $9 trillion from the previous year. This substantial debt created challenges for countries that faced a debt surge in 2020, as economic activity collapsed and governments acted swiftly to provide support during the pandemic.

Higher debt can potentially reduce the ability of governments to react to the COVID-19 crisis.

Our data show that the global average debt-to-GDP ratio […]

Read More

Finding Solid Footing for the Global Economy

2020-02-21T09:44:28-05:00February 19, 2020|

By Kristalina Georgieva

عربي, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский

As the Group of Twenty industrialized and emerging market economies (G-20) finance ministers and central bank governors gather in Riyadh this week, they face an uncertain economic landscape.

After disappointing growth in 2019, we began to see signs of stabilization and risk reduction, including the Phase 1 U.S.-China trade deal. In January, the IMF projected growth to strengthen from 2.9 percent in 2019 to 3.3 percent in 2020 and 3.4 percent in 2021. This projected uptick in growth is dependent on […]

Read More
Go to Top