America's millennials, the largest living generation in the world, are hung up on their student debt, so much so that they think it's about as bad as their greatest fear -- global warming.

And don't even try to compare their average debt of $28,400 to the murderous regime running North Korea -- seven in 10 say their personal crisis is much worse.



The pressure they feel from the weight of their loans was revealed in a new survey provided to Secrets by LendEDU, which charts the impacts of loans and student financial aid.

In the latest survey, it said that there are 43.3 million student loan borrowers with a total debt of $1.41 trillion. Some 60 percent of Americans graduate college with student debt, and the average default rate is 11.8 percent.

So how bad is that?

LendEDU and online polling company Whatsgoodly asked two questions.

Some 515 millennials were asked "What is a bigger problem facing the United States, global warming or the $1.4 trillion student loan crisis."

The results: "250 millennials, or 48.5 percent, think the $1.41 trillion student loan crisis is a more serious issue for the U.S. than global warming is. The remaining 265 respondents, or 51.5 percent, believe global warming is a bigger threat facing this country.



Some 544 were asked if their loans or North Korea is worse. Those results:

"379 participants, or 69.7 percent, think the $1.41 trillion student loan debt situation is a bigger threat than North Korea. On the other side, 165 millennials, or 30.3 percent, believe North Korea poses more of a threat than does the student loan crisis."

Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.com