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.

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 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.

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 Held by Federal Reserve Banks (FDHBFRBN) from Q1 1970 to Q1 2025 about debt, federal, banks, depository institutions, and USA.

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.

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.

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.

United States Federal Securities: Public Debt Securities (PD) data was reported at 21,195.070 USD bn in Jun 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 21,145.215 USD bn for May 2018. United States Federal Securities: Public Debt Securities (PD) data is updated monthly, averaging 8,834.580 USD bn from Jan 1996 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 270 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 21,195.070 USD bn in Jun 2018 and a record low of 4,983.247 USD bn in Jan 1996. United States Federal Securities: Public Debt Securities (PD) data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of the Fiscal Service. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.Z051: Ownership of Federal Securities.

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.

In the third quarter of 2024, household debt in the United States amounted to over 71.66 percent of its GDP. It can be generally observed that U.S. households are more indebted by the end of the year than in any other quarter. The debt of households peaked in the last quarter of 2020, reaching the highest value since 2013. Debt to GDP ratio As it can be observed here, the household debt to GDP ratio decreased overall in the recent years. The steady growth of the gross domestic product in the United States could be a factor explaining this tendency. If the volume of debt grows at a slower pace than the GDP, the debt to GDP ratio would decrease. In addition to that, the overall value of mortgage debt in the U.S., which is the most significant component of the household debt, decreased from 2012 to the third quarter of 2014, but it has rebounded since then. Public debt in the U.S. Public debt in the United States, which is the amount of money borrowed by the government to finance budget deficits, has been increasing almost every single year. Not only that, but according to that forecast it is also expected to keep increasing during the coming years. The major holders of American government debt, as of December 2023, were Federal Reserve and government accounts and foreign and international holders. The ratio of national debt to GDP of the United States was higher than that of other major economies, but lower than that of Japan. Some of the lowest debt to GDP ratios were observed in Hong Kong SAR, Kuwait, and Turkmenistan.

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.

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.

United States - Mortgage Debt Outstanding by Type of Holder: Individuals and Other Holders (DISCONTINUED) was 1390588.00000 Mil. of $ in July of 2019, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Mortgage Debt Outstanding by Type of Holder: Individuals and Other Holders (DISCONTINUED) reached a record high of 1435635.00000 in July of 2006 and a record low of 9722.00000 in October of 1949. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Mortgage Debt Outstanding by Type of Holder: Individuals and Other Holders (DISCONTINUED) - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on July of 2025.

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.

Graph and download economic data for Assets: Securities Held Outright: U.S. Treasury Securities: All: Wednesday Level (TREAST) from 2002-12-18 to 2025-07-09 about maturity, securities, Treasury, and USA.

United States - Mortgage Debt Outstanding by Type of Holder and Property: Individuals and Other Holders for Multifamily Residences (DISCONTINUED) was 128509.00000 Mil. of $ in July of 2019, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Mortgage Debt Outstanding by Type of Holder and Property: Individuals and Other Holders for Multifamily Residences (DISCONTINUED) reached a record high of 130966.80000 in October of 2016 and a record low of 2312.00000 in October of 1949. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Mortgage Debt Outstanding by Type of Holder and Property: Individuals and Other Holders for Multifamily Residences (DISCONTINUED) - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.