GLOBAL DEBT: Business Insider reports that the IMF believes world-wide debt is $152 trillion. This is “…the highest gross debt ever recorded. The debt-to-GDP ratio is also at an all-time high of 225%, up from 200% 14 years ago.”

This is non-financial public and private sector debt combined.

Here is Zero Hedge’s take on the report.

No one really knows the real global debt total, other than “it’s really big.” I gave a speech a year ago to a professional group that briefly discussed some of the total debt estimates (I emphasize briefly). In September 2015 total US federal debt was a little less than $20 trillion. Estimates for total US debt (including state, local government and private debt) ranged from $55 trillion to $60 trillion, with the higher figure given credence. Every source agreed total global debt exceeded $200 trillion. $230 trillion was a common estimate. This Bloomberg report says global debt went over $200 trillion in 2014. A Wall Street Journal article I read last year said the world exceeded $200 trillion in 2013. A trillion here, a trillion there. This LA Times analysis (July 2016) has some more recent debt figures.