Good debt, bad debt: What NZ’s near $1 trillion tally really means – The Front Page

Home / New ZealandNZ Herald1 Sep, 2026 05:00 AM3 mins to readNZ Herald business editor-at-large Liam Dann joins The Front Page to examine the numbers behind the nation’s march towards $1 trillion in debt.New Zealand’s debt burden has nearly doubled in 10 years.However, there are signs the country’s borrowing habits are becoming more sustainable. In 2016, when the NZ Herald first ran the Nation of Debt series, available private and public debt figures totalled $492.5 billion.AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.