According to Nikkei, citing finance ministry data, Japan's government debt reached a record 1,346.6833 trillion yen ($8.46 trillion) at the end of June. The total rose by nearly $18 billion from March through June.
The increase reflects a broader global trend of rising sovereign borrowing. Over the past decade and a half, developed economies have seen their debt expand 1.7-fold, or $28 trillion, while emerging markets have grown their debt burden twice as fast, marking a 3.7-fold increase, or $23 trillion. The largest debtors remain the United States ($37 trillion, roughly one-third of the global total) and China ($14 trillion). Together with Japan, these three nations account for nearly 60% of global government debt.
