Borrowing by governments and companies from debt markets was at historic highs in 2025, reaching $27 trillion, and is set to rise to $29 trillion in 2026. Despite rising levels of debt and a series of shocks in recent years, debt markets have been resilient. But pressure on debt markets is growing and it will continue to test their resilience.
Global Debt Report 2026
OECD
Research
160 Pages
Key Takeaways
$29 Trillion: The record amount governments and companies are projected to borrow from bond markets in 2026 ‑ 17% more than in 2024.
78%: Share of borrowing by OECD governments in 2026 that will go to refinance existing debt.
$1.2 Trillion: Expected corporate bond issuance by 9 major AI players to fund capital expenditure needs in 2026-2030.