Rich countries are set to take on at least $17tn of extra public debt as they battle the economic consequences of the pandemic, according to the OECD, as sharp drops in tax revenues are expected to dwarf the stimulus measures put in place to battle the disease.
Across the OECD club of rich countries, average government financial liabilities are expected to rise from 109 per cent of gross domestic product to more than 137 per cent this year, leaving many with public debt burdens similar to the current level in Italy.
Additional debt of that scale would amount to a minimum of $13,000 per person across the 1.3bn people that live in OECD member countries. Debt levels could rise even further if the economic recovery from the pandemic is slower than many economists hope.