Think the US Is Bad? People in These 9 Countries Have Way More Debt

In the U.S. it’s more common than not to carry a boatload of debt. As of the third quarter of 2024, Americans owed $17.57 trillion in total debt — up 2.4% year over year, according to Experian data. Even spread over hundreds of millions of people, it’s a lot of debt: $58,215.12 for the average household, according to a new study by QuickLoan Pte Ltd.

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But the U.S. isn’t the only country with a serious debt issue among its citizens. The study analyzed household debt data across multiple countries to find which nations live most on credit and where debt-to-income ratios pose the greatest financial risks. The U.S. came in 10th, based on loan-to-income ratio, as it has a loan-to-income ratio of 112.21%. Below are the nine countries where the burden of household debt is even greater.

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9. Netherlands

• Average household debt: $53,430.77 

• Average yearly net salary: $45,433.20 

• Loan-to-income ratio: 117.60%

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8. New Zealand

• Average household debt: $43,987.51

• Average yearly net salary: $36,810.84

• Loan-to-income ratio: 119.50%

7. Luxembourg

• Average household debt: $87,235.44

• Average yearly net salary: $72,789.24

• Loan-to-income ratio: 119.85%

6. Sweden

• Average household debt: $45,796.27 

• Average yearly net salary: $37,528.32 

• Loan-to-income ratio:122.03%

5. Denmark

• Average household debt: $59,926.00 

• Average yearly net salary: $47,495.64

• Loan-to-income ratio: 126.17%

4. Switzerland

• Average household debt:  $124,785.99

• Average yearly net salary: $86,807.04

• Loan-to-income ratio: 143.75%

3. Canada

• Average household debt: $54,572.63

• Average yearly net salary: $34,609.56 

• Loan-to-income ratio: 157.68%

2. Australia

• Average household debt: $70,348.47 

• Average yearly net salary: $43,060.44

• Loan-to-income ratio: 163.37%

1. Norway

• Average household debt: $74,629.74 

• Average yearly net salary: $43,955.28

• Loan-to-income ratio: 169.79%

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Think the US Is Bad? People in These 9 Countries Have Way More Debt