Working on a possible piece on world debt-to-GDP and highest GDP per capita.
The U.S. rates up there at number 12 in the running. We are not in august company, Venezuela and Japan being 1 and 2, respectively. The European countries in this group are Greece, Italy, and Portugal.
The problem comes when the debt is too great to finance. Even if a country can still pay, too much debt can cause a loss of confidence. The warnings about a move to another world reserve currency is something to have some alarm about, but U.S. treasuries are still the most reliable.
Top 12 Countries with the Highest Debt-to-GDP Ratios (%)
Venezuela — 350%
Japan — 266%
Sudan — 259%
Greece — 206%
Lebanon — 172%
Cabo Verde — 157%
Italy — 156%
Libya — 155%
Portugal — 134%
Singapore — 131%
Bahrain — 128%
United States — 128%