But if borrowers can’t repay or struggle to repay, economic growth may suffer. What further confuses the situation is that different countries have different experiences and different tolerances for debt. The loans come in many forms and maturities, ranging from home mortgages to business loans to government bonds. Borrowing by emerging market countries — Brazil, India and China, for example — represents about 30 percent of global debt, the IIF reckons. The question remains: Will the debt bomb explode again?

Source: Washington Post July 17, 2019 15:22 UTC