Government debt at the end of 2001 totaled a record 582.46 trillion yen, an increase of 11.6 percent over the previous year, the Finance Ministry said Monday.

The increase was due, in part, to an increase in government bond issues to buy back those floated in the past. Government bonds accounted for 430.48 trillion yen of the debt, up 15.4 percent. The remainder consisted of 109.44 trillion yen in loans, up 0.4 percent, and 42.53 trillion yen in financing bills, up 5.8 percent.

The ministry also said the outstanding balance of government-guaranteed debts rose 4.4 percent to 58.2 trillion yen.