KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 -- Malaysia's household debt rose to RM1.73 trillion at the end of March, but the country's debt burden eased slightly relative to the size of the economy while borrowers continued to demonstrate a strong ability to repay their loans, according to the government.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said household debt stood at 84.4 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) at the end of the first quarter, down marginally from 84.7 per cent three months earlier.

According to the government's assessment, debt growth has remained broadly in step with economic expansion and income gains, easing concerns that households may be becoming increasingly overstretched amid uncertainty in the global economy.

In a written pa...