There are a number of subjects that some people don't like to talk about in public: politics, religion, how much they weigh. But people are more uncomfortable talking about their credit card debt than any of those topics, according to a new survey.
A recent survey from personal finance site CreditCards.com polled 1,000 U.S. adults in March and found that, on average, nearly half of Americans (47 percent) felt uncomfortable discussing their credit card debt with anyone, and 30 percent felt uncomfortable discussing it with immediate family (such as spouses, parents, siblings and adult children).
That's more than the 19 percent on average who are uncomfortable talking about weight with immediate family, 14 percent who are uncomfortable talking about their political views, 12 percent who are uncomfortable about talking about their health and 12 percent who are uncomfortable talking about their religion. The only topic that more people actually felt uncomfortable talking about than credit card debt was their love lives (48 percent), the survey found.
While credit card debt might be a taboo topic to many, it's incredibly common. A March survey of credit card users by real estate data company Cleber found that 47 percent of Americans carry a monthly balance on their credit cards, and of those, 70 percent say the balance is over $1,000 on average.
Experts often encourage talking about finances with others, like friends or family. Star of ABC's "Shark Tank" Kevin O'Leary, for example, recommends talking about about money with romantic partners, co-workers and — if you're a parent — your kids.
"I think kids should be taught at the age of 5 onward where money comes from," O'Leary previously told CNBC Make It. "We do a very poor job in North America telling kids about finance. We teach them sex education, geography, math, reading, all kinds of learning skills, but we don't tell them about debt. No wonder they get into trouble as soon as they get a credit card."
"Debt is a bad thing. Understanding where money comes from is important," he adds. "Make money a part of the family at the dinner table. Talk about where it comes from, how you make it and how hard it is to have."
Correction: This article has been updated to clarify that 47 percent is in reference to people who feel uncomfortable talking about credit card debt with anyone, and 30 percent who feel uncomfortable discussing it with immediate family.
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Disclosure: CNBC owns the exclusive off-network cable rights to "Shark Tank."