Episode 1: The Global Debt Crisis IDEAs Podcast

Almost half of the global population is affected by the current global debt crisis and some Global South countries are now spending more on debt servicing than health, education and social protection combined. Development economists Jayati Ghosh and Charles Abugre explore its root causes – from the imposition of austerity and structural adjustment policies in the 1980s to the excess liquidity post-2008 financial crisis that resulted in the Bretton Woods institutions encouraging developing countries to borrow from private bond markets. They also highlight the profound effects on people and society. And we hear from a Kenyan barber about how tax increases there are affecting his business and family life – and why he took to the streets in protest.

New episodes of the podcast are available on Wednesdays.