Global Debt Hits $324 Trillion as World’s Richest Gain $42 Trillion Over Decade.

Global Debt Hits $324 Trillion as World’s Richest Gain $42 Trillion Over Decade

Global debt has reached a record $324 trillion, according to the Institute of International Finance (IIF), while Oxfam reports the world’s richest 1% have gained $42 trillion in new wealth over the past ten years.

The IIF revealed that global debt rose by $7.5 trillion in the first quarter of 2025 alone. The increase, driven by rising government borrowing in countries like China, France, and Germany, brings total global debt to over three times the size of the world’s economy.

Meanwhile, inequality continues to surge. According to Oxfam, the richest 1% captured nearly half of all new wealth created over the last decade. On average, each individual in this group gained about $400,000 in real wealth, while the bottom 50% of the world’s population saw only negligible gains.

Oxfam warns this growing gap is harming economic stability and called for fairer taxation on the ultra-rich, as well as greater investment in public services.

Experts say that without coordinated action, the combination of rising debt and extreme wealth concentration could pose serious long-term risks to global stability.