# The Five Scariest Numbers in the Global Economy (A Halloween Special)

An episode of [The David McWilliams Podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1462649946), 29 Oct 2026, 35 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/acast/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast/e/6ae2047b33b363c95d5842fa/media.mp3

For Halloween, we start with Ireland’s first witch trial: Alice Kyteler, the Kilkenny moneylender who buried four husbands and skipped town, leaving her servant to burn at the stake in 1324. For a real scare, we dive into the five numbers that should keep you up at night. The Shiller index at 41 (last seen in 1999, just before the dot-com crash), global government debt at 94% of GDP, The US paying $1 trillion a year just to service its debt, more than its defence budget, the 10-year Treasury yield at 5.36%, a 24-year high and oil at $110, 80% up on last year, thanks to the Strait of Hormuz. If it all goes pear-shaped, the question is simple: who’s the witch? Use code WITCH at kilkenomics.com for 20% off tickets all day October 30th & 31st Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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