Silver Rises Over 120% YTD 
Global debt has exceeded $100 trillion, with governments and companies paying the highest interest costs in 20 years. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an international organization of 38 member countries that works to shape policies for better lives, reports that its member governments now spend 3.3% of GDP on interest payments—more than on defense.
Despite recent interest rate cuts, borrowing costs remain high, and nearly half of all government debt will need refinancing by 2027. This creates particular risks for low-income countries, where over half of debt matures within three years. Dollar-denominated borrowing costs have jumped from 4% in 2020 to over 6% in 2024. The OECD urges borrowers to prioritize productive investments rather than using debt for financial engineering or shareholder payouts, especially as governments face growing expenses for infrastructure, defense, climate initiatives, and aging populations.
