debt

It is about the plans of the UK government to launch a decade-long programme of ‘investment’ in industry, infrastructure and Net Zero, greatly expanding the state’s role in the economy. The programme is to be funded entirely with new debt of £1.64 trillion: the same amount as the spending programme. This is 58% of the […]

We are pleased to announce a new collaboration between the Institute for Research in Economic and Fiscal Issues (IREF) and the European Center for Austrian Economics Foundation (ECAEF), focused on publishing a series of articles on economic and fiscal topics. It emphasizes our commitment to independent thought, academic freedom, and critical inquiry.   Introduction Governments […]

  The direction of the world economy is unclear. Geopolitical crises may disrupt supply chains (wars in various parts of the world), financial overhangs need resolute answers (public debts and interest-rate manipulation) and self-inflicted wounds (United States President Donald Trump’s preference for confrontational approaches, with occasional second thoughts) sometimes generate unpleasant surprises. Previously, governments responded […]

  Global debt has reached staggering figures, totaling more than $300 trillion in 2024. Most of this debt is concentrated in the older, industrialized democracies, as well as China. It comprises public sector (sovereign) debt, corporate borrowings and household liabilities. Collectively, it represents roughly 300 percent of the world’s gross domestic product. In 2024, the total […]

  This week, all key finance ministers and central bank governors are gathering in Washington for the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. These two supranational institutions were created out of the Bretton Woods agreements, which sought to provide a financial and economic framework for the global economy. That system was, on […]