As of December 2024, Japan held United States treasury securities totaling about 1.06 trillion U.S. dollars. Foreign holders of United States treasury debt According to the Federal Reserve and U.S. Department of the Treasury, foreign countries held a total of 8.5 trillion U.S. dollars in U.S. treasury securities as of December 2024. Of the total held by foreign countries, Japan and Mainland China held the greatest portions, with China holding 759 billion U.S. dollars in U.S. securities. The U.S. public debt In 2023, the United States had a total public national debt of 33.2 trillion U.S. dollars, an amount that has been rising steadily, particularly since 2008. In 2023, the total interest expense on debt held by the public of the United States reached 678 billion U.S. dollars, while 197 billion U.S. dollars in interest expense were intra governmental debt holdings. Total outlays of the U.S. government were 6.1 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023. By 2029, spending is projected to reach 8.3 trillion U.S. dollars.

The national debt of China was approximately 16.65 trillion U.S. dollars in 2024. Following a continuous upward trend, the national debt has risen by around 16.46 trillion U.S. dollars since 1995. Between 2024 and 2030, the national debt will rise by around 13 trillion U.S. dollars, continuing its consistent upward trajectory.

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

In 2023, China held **** percent of foreign held U.S. securities. Japan held a further **** percent of foreign held securities. The national debt of the United Stated can be found here.

China Foreign Debt: U.S. Dollar data was reported at 966.080 USD bn in Dec 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1,000.160 USD bn for Sep 2024. China Foreign Debt: U.S. Dollar data is updated quarterly, averaging 856.892 USD bn from Dec 2009 (Median) to Dec 2024, with 61 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,290.516 USD bn in Mar 2022 and a record low of 180.883 USD bn in Dec 2009. China Foreign Debt: U.S. Dollar data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by State Administration of Foreign Exchange. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Government and Public Finance – Table CN.FA: Foreign Debt: Quarterly.

Key information about China External Debt

• China External Debt reached 2,516.9 USD bn in Sep 2024, compared with 2,545.3 USD bn in the previous quarter.
• China External Debt: USD mn data is updated quarterly, available from Jun 2003 to Sep 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 2,746.6 USD bn in Dec 2021 and a record low of 182.6 USD bn in Jun 2003.

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 147.6 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) fell by 8.3 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• China Direct Investment Abroad expanded by 34.5 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• Its Foreign Portfolio Investment increased by 24.0 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• The country's Nominal GDP was reported at 4,166.8 USD bn in Mar 2023.

Key information about China Government Debt: % of GDP

• China Government debt accounted for 25.6 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Dec 2024, compared with the ratio of 25.1 % in the previous quarter.
• China government debt to GDP ratio data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 2014 to Dec 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 25.6 % in Dec 2024 and a record low of 14.0 % in Mar 2014.

CEIC calculates quarterly Government Debt as % of Nominal GDP from quarterly Government Debt and rolling sum of quarterly Nominal GDP. The Ministry of Finance provides Government Debt in local currency. The National Bureau of Statistics provides Nominal GDP in local currency. Government Debt covers Central Government only.


Related information about China Government Debt: % of GDP

• In the latest reports, China National Government Debt reached 4,230.0 USD bn in Dec 2023.
• The country's Nominal GDP reached 4,166.8 USD bn in Mar 2023.

Graph and download economic data for Federal Debt Held by Federal Reserve Banks (FDHBFRBN) from Q1 1970 to Q1 2025 about debt, federal, banks, depository institutions, and USA.

China recorded a Government Debt to GDP of 88.30 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2024. This dataset provides - China Government Debt To GDP - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Key information about China National Government Debt

• China National Government Debt reached 4,230.0 USD bn in Dec 2023, compared with 3,750.7 USD bn in the previous year.
• China National Government Debt data is updated yearly, available from Dec 2005 to Dec 2023.
• The data reached an all-time high of 4,230.0 USD bn in Dec 2023 and a record low of 404.1 USD bn in Dec 2005.

CEIC converts annual Government Debt into USD. Ministry of Finance provides Government Debt in local currency. The Federal Reserve Board period end market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. Government Debt covers Central Government Debt only.


Related information about China National Government Debt

• In the latest reports, China Consolidated Fiscal Balance recorded a deficit equal to 4.8 % of its Nominal GDP in Mar 2024.
• The country's Government debt accounted for 24.0 % of its Nominal GDP in Mar 2024.
• China Nominal GDP reached 4,166.8 USD bn in Mar 2023.

China external debt for 2022 was 2.389 trillion US dollars, a 11.6% decline from 2021.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>China external debt for 2021 was <strong>2.702 trillion US dollars</strong>, a <strong>16.16% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>China external debt for 2020 was <strong>2.326 trillion US dollars</strong>, a <strong>10.03% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>China external debt for 2019 was <strong>2.114 trillion US dollars</strong>, a <strong>7.78% increase</strong> from 2018.</li>
</ul>Total external debt is debt owed to nonresidents repayable in currency, goods, or services. Total external debt is the sum of public, publicly guaranteed, and private nonguaranteed long-term debt, use of IMF credit, and short-term debt. Short-term debt includes all debt having an original maturity of one year or less and interest in arrears on long-term debt. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

The value of U.S. Treasury securities held by residents of Russia amounted to ** million U.S. dollars in March 2025, marking a stark contrast to ***** billion U.S. dollars held in January 2020. The lowest over the period under consideration was recorded in November 2023 at ** million U.S. dollars. Furthermore, in March 2020, the figure plummeted to **** billion U.S. dollars, down from **** billion U.S. dollars one month prior. Russia’s holdings of U.S. treasury securities have decreased since 2014 following the Western sanctions over the annexation of Crimea and have further dropped in 2022 after more restrictions were imposed over the war in Ukraine. What are U.S. treasury holdings? U.S. treasury holdings are government debt instruments that contribute to the funding of various government projects in the country. The U.S. Department of Treasury allows individuals and organizations to invest in treasury notes, bills, and bonds, which are the main three types of securities. Just under half of the outstanding ** trillion U.S. dollars as of May 2024 were in the form of treasury notes. The notes have varying maturities and coupon payment frequencies, which are different from the maturity periods of treasury bills and bonds. Main foreign holders of U.S. treasury securities Foreign holdings of U.S. treasury debt amounted to ***** trillion U.S. dollars as of January 2024. Japan and China held the largest portions, with China possessing ***** billion U.S. dollars in U.S. securities. Additionally, other significant foreign holders included oil exporting countries and Caribbean banking centers.

Holdings of US Treasury Securities data was reported at 784.300 USD bn in Feb 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 760.802 USD bn for Jan 2025. Holdings of US Treasury Securities data is updated monthly, averaging 937.400 USD bn from Mar 2000 (Median) to Feb 2025, with 300 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,316.700 USD bn in Nov 2013 and a record low of 58.900 USD bn in Nov 2000. Holdings of US Treasury Securities data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by U.S. Department of the Treasury. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Government and Public Finance – Table CN.FF: Holdings of US Treasury Securities.

The graph shows national debt in China related to gross domestic product until 2024, with forecasts to 2030. In 2024, gross national debt ranged at around 88 percent of the national gross domestic product. The debt-to-GDP ratio In economics, the ratio between a country's government debt and its gross domestic product (GDP) is generally defined as the debt-to-GDP ratio. It is a useful indicator for investors to measure a country's ability to fulfill future payments on its debts. A low debt-to-GDP ratio also suggests that an economy produces and sells a sufficient amount of goods and services to pay back those debts. Among the important industrial and emerging countries, Japan displayed one of the highest debt-to-GDP ratios. In 2024, the estimated national debt of Japan amounted to about 250 percent of its GDP, up from around 180 percent in 2004. One reason behind Japan's high debt load lies in its low annual GDP growth rate. Development in China China's national debt related to GDP grew slowly but steadily from around 23 percent in 2000 to 34 percent in 2012, only disrupted by the global financial crisis in 2008. In recent years, China increased credit financing to spur economic growth, resulting in higher levels of debt. China's real estate crisis and a difficult global economic environment require further stimulating measures by the government and will predictably lead to even higher debt growth in the years ahead.

Debt service on external debt, total (TDS, current US$) in China was reported at 385484224724 USD in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Debt service on external debt, total (TDS, current US$) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

This graph shows the state debt per capita in the United States for the 2013 fiscal year. In 2013, the state of Alabama had a total per capita debt of 14,173 U.S. dollars. Average state debt per capita amounted to 16,178 U.S. dollars.

The national debt of the United Stated can be found here. State debt National debts, also known as public debt and government debt, are the amount of money borrowed by states to cover their budget deficits. Nearly all governments use the debt method to finance operations and projects. Government debt can be seen as an indirect debt on taxpayers.

The public debt of the United States has been rising steadily for the last decades from 3,233.31 billion U.S. dollars in 1990 to 17,156.12 billion U.S dollars in 2013.

Although the United States’ debt is significantly high, the country with the highest public debt in 2014, in relation to the gross domestic product (GDP), was Japan. Japan had an estimated debt of about 246.16 percent in relation to the gross domestic product, according to IMF data. Nigeria was among the countries with the lowest national debt in 2014 in relation to the gross domestic product (GDP), with an estimated level of national debt reached about 15.91 percent of the GDP.

Much of the U.S. public debt is held by foreign investors, debt holders like nations or institutions which lent money to the United States. About 47 percent of the U.S. public debt is hold by foreign investors, while the Federal Reserve Bank holds 10 percent of the U.S public debt. As of August 2014, China and Japan are the major foreign holders of U.S. treasury debt. According to the Federal Reserve and U.S. Department of the Treasury, China held 1,270.9 billion U.S. dollars, while Japan held 1,220.1 billion U.S. dollars.

CN: External Debt: INT: Interest Payments: General Government Sector data was reported at 1.600 USD bn in 2031. This records a decrease from the previous number of 12.443 USD bn for 2030. CN: External Debt: INT: Interest Payments: General Government Sector data is updated yearly, averaging 1.448 USD bn from Dec 1981 (Median) to 2031, with 51 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 13.199 USD bn in 2024 and a record low of 63.918 USD mn in 1981. CN: External Debt: INT: Interest Payments: General Government 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: Disbursements and Interest Payment: Annual. General government 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. Interest payments are actual amounts of interest paid by the borrower in currency, goods, or services in the year specified. 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.

External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) in China was reported at 2420210835504 USD in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Debt service on external debt, public and publicly guaranteed (PPG) (TDS, current US$) in China was reported at 54170837199 USD in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Debt service on external debt, public and publicly guaranteed (PPG) (TDS, current US$) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

The outstanding value of China's general government debt securities has shown an upward trend from 2000 to the third quarter of 2024, rising from *** billion U.S. dollars to over ** trillion U.S. dollars. The largest increase occurred between 2019 and 2020, when it went from *** trillion to *** trillion U.S. dollars.