A rapid increase in household debt is undeniably a main concern among policymakers. Studies indicating the damaging effect of rapid rise in household debt towards economic growth attracted many researchers to determine its reasons. The risk from high household debt is not only applicable to advanced economies, but also inherent in emerging economies. Thus, the present study examines the leading causes of household debt in emerging economies. The study employs a bias-corrected least square dummy variable for the period of 1995–2018. The results show positive and significant effects of financial development, house prices, and lending interest rate. Meanwhile, unemployment rate and inflation are negatively associated with household debt. The study therefore urges policymakers, relevant authority and financial institutions to employ suitable and effective policy to mitigate the factors identified in the rise of household debt. © 2020 The Author(s). This open access article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license.