World debt soars. - According to the most recent Bank of International Settlements (BIS) report, world debt now stands at $100 trillion. The amount of global debt has increased by two and a half times as much over a twelve-month period, which is mainly down to the commercial crisis triggered in 2008. The amount of the debt now exceeds estimated global GDP of $75 trillion. It includes public debt and the debts of companies and financial undertakings quoted on the stock exchange, but excludes household debt. If it did include the latter, it would be even higher. In 2007, global debt reached the figure of $70 trillion, while just seven years earlier it still stood at a ceiling of $40 trillion, notes the BIS. This startling increase is significantly linked to soaring public debt. The 2008 crisis compelled states to massively intervene to bail out their failing financial systems (US and Europe) or support their economies faced with a slowdown in global growth (China and Japan). The amount of sovereign debt securities leapt by 80% over a six-year period to $43 trillion in June 2013, which corresponds to $6,142 for every human being. With regard to private companies (excluding financial undertakings), the amount of debt has also increased at a sustained pace to $10 trillion. (IL)