Sweden's dilemma: massive household debt amid zero interest rates
Preventing a steep fall in property prices and consumer confidence seen as a tough task for govt and regulators
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Stockholm
SWEDEN'S new centre-left government and its financial authorities are under huge pressure when they meet on Tuesday to tackle a mountain of household debt that is casting a long shadow over one of Europe's few economic bright spots.
Having slashed rates to zero to fight the risk of deflation, Swedish officials are now in a quandary over how to rein in borrowing and house price rises without sending the real estate market into a downward spiral. The country's AAA-rated economy is still one of Europe's strongest, with low public debt, sound state finances and banks among the best capitalised and most profitable in Europe.
