#public-debt

#public-debt

Fuel costs, inflation and debt pressures are testing Asian economies. Working from home. Fuel queues. Blackouts. This is the fallout from the war on Iran across Asia. Governments are scrambling to shield their economies from the worst of the energy crisis. Some are rationing fuel. Others are reintroducing subsidies or limiting exports altogether. And the longer the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted, the worse it gets so much so for vulnerable economies.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office's 10-year outlook projects worsening long-term federal deficits and rising debt, driven largely by increased spending, notably on Social Security, Medicare, and debt service payments. Compared with the CBO's analysis this time last year, the fiscal outlook has deteriorated modestly. Major developments over the last year are factored into the latest report, released Wednesday, including Republicans' tax and spending measure known as the " One Big Beautiful Bill Act,"

Net zero migration (NZM) would have clear fiscal consequences for the UK economy: lower tax revenues would leave the government needing to raise taxes to close an increasing funding gap over the long-term, according to analysis contained within the National Institute of Economic and Social Research's latest quarterly Economic Outlook. Slower employment growth and a smaller tax base would reduce revenues, increasing the budget deficit by around 0.8 per cent of GDP, equivalent to approximately £37 billion in today's prices, by 2040.

the German capital remains mired in an economic crisis, registering a new record debt of nearly 76 billion this year. But the big question is: is it still attractive, or is it simply poor? If we look at tourist figures, Berlin has not yet recovered from the decline during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, it has attracted fewer visitors so far this year than in previous years. According to the Berlin Statistical Office, almost 9.2 million tourists visited the city in the first nine months of 2025.

The head of the British Council has this week proposed transferring the organisation's vast art collection to the UK government in a bid to offset debts of almost £200m. The collection comprises almost 9,000 British art works of the 20th and 21st centuries by artists including Lucian Freud, David Hockney, Tomma Abts and John Akomfrah. The works have no permanent gallery, with around a fifth of on display at any one time in the UK and internationally.

For the first six months of the financial year, total borrowing now stands close to £99.8bn, 13.1% higher than at the same point last year and on course to overshoot the OBR's March forecast. The rise reflects a toxic mix of high debt interest payments, still-inflated public sector wage costs, and weak tax receipts from income, property, and corporate profits. Meanwhile, sluggish GDP growth is keeping revenue subdued, even as spending on health, education, and local services remains under pressure.

The economy contracted by 0.1% in May, following a 0.3% contraction in April. Growth over the first half of the year is now expected to be modest.

Tariffs revenue is coming from Americans' pockets. It's a tax on the backs of people who are importing either raw materials or, in my case, wine.