Graph and download economic data for Federal Debt Held by Foreign and International Investors (FDHBFIN) from Q1 1970 to Q3 2025 about foreign, debt, federal, and USA.

Foreign Treasury Holdings China in the United States decreased to 683.50 USD Billion in December from 683.90 USD Billion in November of 2025. United States US Treasuries Held by China - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on February of 2026.

Key information about China External Debt

• China External Debt reached 2,436.8 USD bn in Jun 2025, compared with 2,451.4 USD bn in the previous quarter.
• China External Debt: USD mn data is updated quarterly, available from Jun 2003 to Jun 2025.

The State Administration of Foreign Exchange provides quartely External Debt in USD.


Related information about China External Debt

• In the latest reports of China, Current Account recorded a surplus of 195.6 USD bn in Sep 2025.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) increased by 8.5 USD bn in Sep 2025.
• China Direct Investment Abroad expanded by 39.9 USD bn in Sep 2025.
• Its Foreign Portfolio Investment increased by 8.3 USD bn in Jun 2025.
• The country's Nominal GDP was reported at 4,953.4 USD bn in Sep 2025.

U.S. Public Debt vs. GDP

Trends and Comparisons

By Charlie Hutcheson [source]

About this dataset

This dataset contains quarterly data on the US Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Total Public Debt from 1947 through 2020. It provides a comprehensive view into the development of debt versus GDP over the years, offering insights into how our economy has grown and changed since The Great Depression. Explore this valuable information to answer questions such as: How do debt and GDP relate to one another? Has US government spending been outpacing wealth throughout history? From what sources does our national debt originate? This dataset can be utilized by economists, governments, researchers, investors, financial institutions, journalists — anyone looking to gain a better understanding of where our economy stands today compared to past decades

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How to use the dataset

This dataset, U.S. GDP vs Debt Over Time, contains quarterly data on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Total Public Debt of the United States between 1947 to 2020. This can be useful for conducting research into how the total public debt relates to economic growth in the US.

The dataset includes 4 columns: Quarter , Gross Domestic Product ($mil), Total Public Debt ($mil). The Quarter column consists of strings that represent each quarter from 1947-2020 with a corresponding number (e.g., “Q1-1947”). The Gross Domestic Product ($mil) and Total Public Debt ($mil) columns consist of numbers that indicate the respective amounts in millions for each quarter during this same time period.

By analyzing this dataset you can explore various trends over different periods as it relates to public debt versus economic growth in America and make informed decisions about how certain policies may affect future outcomes. Additionally, you could also compare these two values with other variables such as unemployment rate or inflation rate to gain deeper insights into America’s economy over time

Research Ideas

• Comparing the quarterly growth in GDP with public debt to show the correlation between economic growth and government spending.
• Creating a bar or line visualization that compares the US’s total public debt to comparable economic powers like China, Japan, and Europe over time.
• Examining how changes in government deficit have contributed towards an increase in public debt by analyzing which quarters saw significant leaps of growth from one year to the next

Acknowledgements

If you use this dataset in your research, please credit the original authors. Data Source

License

License: Dataset copyright by authors - You are free to: - Share - copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially. - Adapt - remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially. - You must: - Give appropriate credit - Provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. - ShareAlike - You must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original. - Keep intact - all notices that refer to this license, including copyright notices.

Columns

File: US GDP vs Debt.csv | Column name | Description | |:----------------------------------|:-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Quarter | The quarter of the year in which the data was collected. (String) | | Gross Domestic Product ($mil) | The total value of all goods and services produced by the US in a given quarter. (Integer) | | Total Public Debt ($mil) | The total amount owed by the federal government. (Integer) |

Acknowledgements

If you use this dataset in your research, please credit the original authors. If you use this dataset in your research, please credit Charlie Hutcheson.

CN: External Debt: NFL: Net Flows: Long-Term data was reported at -37.983 USD bn in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of -104.627 USD bn for 2023. CN: External Debt: NFL: Net Flows: Long-Term data is updated yearly, averaging -5.647 USD bn from Dec 1981 (Median) to 2024, with 44 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 236.004 USD bn in 2021 and a record low of -104.627 USD bn in 2023. CN: External Debt: NFL: Net Flows: Long-Term data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s China – Table CN.World Bank.IDS: External Debt: Net Flows and Net Transfers: Annual. Net flows (or net lending or net disbursements) received by the borrower during the year are disbursements minus principal repayments. Long-term external debt is defined as debt that has an original or extended maturity of more than one year and that is owed to nonresidents by residents of an economy and repayable in currency, goods, or services. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

CN: External Debt: NFL: Net Flows: Public Sector data was reported at 12.484 USD bn in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of -51.657 USD bn for 2023. CN: External Debt: NFL: Net Flows: Public Sector data is updated yearly, averaging -5.259 USD bn from Dec 1981 (Median) to 2024, with 44 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 151.677 USD bn in 2021 and a record low of -51.657 USD bn in 2023. CN: External Debt: NFL: Net Flows: Public Sector data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s China – Table CN.World Bank.IDS: External Debt: Net Flows and Net Transfers: Annual. Public sector long-term debt are aggregated. Public debt is an external obligation of a public debtor, including the national government, a political subdivision (or an agency of either), and autonomous public bodies. Publicly guaranteed debt is an external obligation of a private debtor that is guaranteed for repayment by a public entity. Net flows (or net lending or net disbursements) received by the borrower during the year are disbursements minus principal repayments. Long-term external debt is defined as debt that has an original or extended maturity of more than one year and that is owed to nonresidents by residents of an economy and repayable in currency, goods, or services. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

CN: External Debt: NTR: Other Public Sector data was reported at 2.630 USD bn in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.328 USD bn for 2023. CN: External Debt: NTR: Other Public Sector data is updated yearly, averaging -5.993 USD bn from Dec 1981 (Median) to 2024, with 44 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 42.348 USD bn in 2021 and a record low of -17.457 USD bn in 2015. CN: External Debt: NTR: Other Public Sector data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s China – Table CN.World Bank.IDS: External Debt: Net Flows and Net Transfers: Annual. Other public sector is an external obligation of a public debtor, including the national government, a political subdivision (or an agency of either), and autonomous public bodies. Publicly guaranteed debt is an external obligation of a private debtor that is guaranteed for repayment by a public entity. Net transfers are net flows minus interest payments during the year; negative transfers show net transfers made by the borrower to the creditor during the year. Long-term external debt is defined as debt that has an original or extended maturity of more than one year and that is owed to nonresidents by residents of an economy and repayable in currency, goods, or services. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

Key information about Malaysia External Debt

• Malaysia External Debt reached 343.9 USD bn in Dec 2025, compared with 328.4 USD bn in the previous quarter.
• Malaysia External Debt: USD mn data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 2009 to Dec 2025.
• The data reached an all-time high of 343.9 USD bn in Dec 2025 and a record low of 100.1 USD bn in Mar 2009.

CEIC converts quarterly External Debt into USD. Bank Negara Malaysia provides External Debt in local currency. The Federal Reserve Board period end market exchange rate is used for currency conversions.


Related information about Malaysia External Debt

• In the latest reports of Malaysia, Current Account recorded a surplus of 493.0 USD mn in Dec 2025.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) increased by 8.2 USD bn in Dec 2025.
• Malaysia Direct Investment Abroad expanded by 2.2 USD bn in Dec 2025.
• Its Foreign Portfolio Investment increased by 3.4 USD bn in Dec 2025.
• The country's Nominal GDP was reported at 122.1 USD bn in Sep 2025.