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.

At the end of 2023, depository institutions owned around 4.86 percent of the total U.S. debt. Depository institutions includes U.S. chartered depository institutions, foreign banking offices in the United States, banks in U.S. affiliated areas, credit unions, and bank holding companies.

The total debt accrued by the U.S. annually can be accessed here.

Graph and download economic data for Federal Debt Held by Foreign and International Investors as Percent of Gross Domestic Product (HBFIGDQ188S) from Q1 1970 to Q1 2025 about foreign, debt, federal, GDP, and USA.

In September 2023, the national debt of the United States had risen up to 33.17 trillion U.S. dollars. The national debt per capita had risen to 85,552 U.S. dollars in 2021. As represented by the statistic above, the public debt of the United States has been continuously rising.

U.S. public debt Public debt, also known as national and governmental debt, is the debt owed by a nations’ central government. In the case of the U.S., national debt is owed by the federal government to Treasury security holders. Generally speaking, government debt increases with government spending, and can be decreased through taxes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. government increased spending significantly to finance virus infrastructure, aid, and various forms of economic relief.

International public debt

Venezuela leads the global ranking of the 20 countries with the highest public debt in 2021. In relation to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Venezuela's public debt amounted to around 306.95 percent of GDP. Eritrea was ranked fifth, with an estimated debt of 170 percent of the Gross Domestic Product.

The national debt of the United Kingdom is forecasted to grow from 87 percent in 2022 to 70 percent in 2027, in relation to the Gross Domestic Product. These figures include England, Wales, Scotland as well as Northern Ireland.

Greece had the highest national debt among EU countries as of the 4th quarter of 2020 in relation to the Gross Domestic Product. Germany ranked 13th in the EU, with its national debt amounting to 69 percent of GDP in the same time period.

Tuvalu was one of the 20 countries with the lowest national debt in 2021 in relation to the GDP, while Macao had an estimated level of national debt of zero percent, the lowest of any country. The data refer to the debts of the entire state, including the central government, the provinces, municipalities, local authorities and social insurance.

Total outstanding debt of the U.S. government reported daily. Includes a breakout of intragovernmental holdings (federal debt held by U.S. government) and debt held by the public (federal debt held by entities outside the U.S. government).

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.

Graph and download economic data for Federal Debt: Total Public Debt (GFDEBTN) from Q1 1966 to Q1 2025 about public, debt, federal, government, and USA.

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.

In 2023, the gross federal debt in the United States amounted to around ****** U.S. dollars per capita. This is a moderate increase from the previous year, when the per capita national debt amounted to about ****** U.S. dollars. The total debt accrued by the U.S. annually can be accessed here. Federal debt of the United States The level of national debt held by the United States government has risen sharply in the years following the Great Recession. Federal debt is the amount of debt the federal government owes to creditors who hold assets in the form of debt securities. As with individuals and consumers, there is a common consensus among economists that holding debt is not necessarily problematic for government so long as the public debt is held at a sustainable level. Although there is no agreed upon ratio of debt to gross domestic product, the increasing debt held by the Federal Reserve has become a major part of the political discourse in the United States. Politics and the national debt In recent years, debate over the debt ceiling has been of concern to domestic politicians, the owners of federal debt, and global economy as a whole. The debt ceiling is a legislated maximum amount that national debt can reach intended to impose a degree of fiscal prudence on incumbent governments. However, as national debt has grown the debt ceiling has been reached, thus forcing legislative action by Congress. In both 2011 and 2013, new legislation was passed by Congress allowing the debt ceiling to be raised. The Budget Control Act of 2011 and the No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 successively allowed the government to avoid defaulting on national debt and therefore avert a potential economic crisis.

United States Treasury Securities: Public Debt (PD) data was reported at 21,089.900 USD bn in Mar 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 20,492.700 USD bn for Dec 2017. United States Treasury Securities: Public Debt (PD) data is updated quarterly, averaging 6,783.200 USD bn from Mar 1989 (Median) to Mar 2018, with 117 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 21,089.900 USD bn in Mar 2018 and a record low of 2,740.900 USD bn in Mar 1989. United States Treasury Securities: Public Debt (PD) data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of the Fiscal Service. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.Z052: Ownership of Treasury Securities.

At the end of 2024, foreign investors owned around a third of the total Italian debt, while the central bank held around 22 percent. Private banks and financial intermediaries owned another 21 percent of the total national debt.

This table contains information on general government debt. Debt is broken down into debt instruments and counterpart sectors (debt holders). Government debt is presented at face value (redemption value of debt) as well as market value (value at which debt can be traded). General government debt according to the Maastricht-definitions relevant in the Stability and Growth Pact is valued at face value, whereas the market value is applied in national accounts. Government debt denominated in euros as well as debt denominated in foreign currency are separately disclosed. Foreign currency debt is valued at prevailing currency exchange rate. The figures are consolidated which means that flows between units that belong to the same sector of general government are eliminated. As a result, the debt of subsectors do not add up to total debt of general government. For example, debt of the State to social security funds is part of debt of the State. However, it is not included in the consolidated debt of general government, because it is debt of general government to general government. The terms and definitions used are in accordance with the framework of the national accounts. National accounts are based on the international definitions of the European System of Accounts (ESA 2010). Small temporary differences in this table with publications of the Dutch national accounts may occur due to the fact that the Dutch government finance statistics are sometimes more up to date.

Data available from: Yearly figures from 1995, quarterly figures from 1999.

Status of the figures: The figures for the period 1995-2023 are final. The figures for 2024 and 2025 are provisional.

Changes as of 24 June 2025: The figures for the first quarter of 2025 are available. Figures for 2023 and 2024 have been adjusted due to updated information. The figures for 2023 are final. In the context of the revision policy of National accounts, the annual figures from 1995 and the quarterly figures from 1999 have been revised.

When will new figures be published? Provisional quarterly figures are published three months after the end of the quarter. In September the figures on the first quarter may be revised, in December the figures on the second quarter may be revised and in March the first three quarters may be revised. Yearly figures are published for the first time three months after the end of the year concerned. Yearly figures are revised two times: 6 and 18 months after the end of the year. Please note that there is a possibility that adjustments might take place at the end of March or September, in order to provide the European Commission with the latest figures. Revised yearly figures are published in June each year. Quarterly figures are aligned to revised years at the end of June. More information on the revision policy of Dutch national accounts and government finance statistics can be found under 'relevant articles' under paragraph 3.

Brazil Federal Public Debt: Domestic: Government data was reported at 161.832 BRL bn in Apr 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 163.865 BRL bn for Mar 2019. Brazil Federal Public Debt: Domestic: Government data is updated monthly, averaging 140.686 BRL bn from Jan 2007 (Median) to Apr 2019, with 148 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 172.430 BRL bn in Apr 2011 and a record low of 0.000 BRL bn in Nov 2010. Brazil Federal Public Debt: Domestic: Government data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Treasury Secretariat. The data is categorized under Brazil Premium Database’s Government and Public Finance – Table BR.FC008: Federal Public Debt: Held by the Public: Domestic: Outstanding: by Holders of Public Securities. This data is part of the Monthly Report of Federal Public Debt from National Treasury. Displays information about emissions, redemptions, stock, maturity profile and average cost to the Federal Public Debt, including both the internal and external debts, responsibility of the National Treasury market.

Japan Central Government Debt: Other Holders data was reported at 619,466.400 JPY bn in Sep 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 624,657.000 JPY bn for Aug 2018. Japan Central Government Debt: Other Holders data is updated monthly, averaging 212,013.150 JPY bn from Apr 1982 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 438 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 843,890.100 JPY bn in May 2012 and a record low of 60,647.400 JPY bn in Jul 1982. Japan Central Government Debt: Other Holders data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bank of Japan. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.F030: Central Government Debt.

During the first half of the 2010s, the Italian government debt has been almost totally owned by private investors, such as banks and financial intermediaries. Most notably, more than one third of the national debt was held by foreign investors. After the 2011 Eurozone crisis, the European Central Bank started to purchase government bonds through a quantitative easing measure. Hence, the share of Italian debt owned by the Bank of Italy increased from less than four percent in 2010 to 22 percent in 2024.

Graph and download economic data for General Government; Debt Securities (Sum of Holders); Liability (FWTW), Transactions (BOGZ1FU364122085A) from 1945 to 2024 about sum, general, flow, liabilities, debt, securities, government, and USA.

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.

This table contains vested government debt broken down by lenders. The total vested debt is determined from the National Accounts as the debt in government bonds and long-term loans. The debts within the government (eg from the central government to the regional government concerning the holdings of municipalities and provinces in government bonds) are not taken into account. This yields the government's consolidated vested debt. The bond debt, like the bond holdings of the lenders, is stated at market value. This differs from EMU debt, which includes bonds at face value. The distribution by lender concerns the counterparties that play a role in financing the established government debt. There are two sources of counterparty data. The Institutional Investors statistic is the source of government bond holdings of financial institutions and the long-term loans they provide to the government. The National Accounts provide data on the share of the rest of the world in government debt and the domestic share, excluding financial institutions. The table contains both absolute data in billions of euros and the percentage share of lenders in the government debt. Data available from: 1998 Frequency: discontinued Status of the figures The results up to and including 2007 are final, the results for 2008 are more provisional and for 2009 provisional. Changes as of 13 October 2010: Data for 2009 has been added and adjustments have been made to the results for 2007 and 2008. When will new figures be released? Does not apply.

In the third quarter of 2024, Greece's national debt was the highest in all the European Union, amounting to 158 percent of Greece's gross domestic product. In spite of Greece's total being high by EU standards, it marks a substantial decrease from the historical high point reached by the country's national debt of 207 percent of GDP in 2020. Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, and Portugal also all have government debt worth over one year's production of their economies, while the small Baltic country of Estonia has the smallest national debt when compared with GDP, at only 24 percent. In debitum incrementum?A country’s national debt, also known as government debt or public debt, is defined as all borrowings owed by the government of a country. It usually comprises internal debt – owed to other governmental departments – and external debt, which is held by the public and is owed to government bond owners. National debt can be caused by a struggling economy in general, or by low tax income, which usually leads to money being borrowed from other governments for support, which in turn cannot be paid back right away. At first glance, a high national debt is not always a sign of a struggling economy – but since increasing debt can slow down economic growth significantly, it is imperative for the respective government to seek a steady reduction in the long run.

Graph and download economic data for Federal Government; Debt Securities (Sum of Holders); Liability (FWTW), Level (BOGZ1FL314122085A) from 1945 to 2024 about sum, liabilities, debt, securities, federal, government, and USA.