What country does the US owe the most money to?
At the top is Japan, whose national debt has remained above 100% of its GDP for two decades, reaching 255% in 2023.
At the top is Japan, whose national debt has remained above 100% of its GDP for two decades, reaching 255% in 2023.
Of that amount, about $24.5 trillion, or 78 percent, was debt held by the public — representing cash borrowed from domestic and foreign investors. The remaining $7.0 trillion (22 percent), was intragovernmental debt, which simply records transactions between one part of the federal government and another.
The obvious reason is Japan willfully EXPORTS manufactured goods to the United States, and earns United States Dollars, which it wants to own. Those US Dollars are ultimately paid into Japan's checking account at the Federal Reserve. Japan can then pay Japanese companies in domestic Yen, not in foreign currency.
As of Oct. 2022, China owns $769.6 billion of the total $7,565 billion U.S. national debt.
Who owns this debt? The public owes 74 percent of the current federal debt. Intragovernmental debt accounts for 26 percent or $5.9 trillion. The public includes foreign investors and foreign governments.
Current Foreign Ownership of U.S. Debt
Japan is the largest holder of U.S. debt.
With a debt of $290.5 billion, Switzerland ranks as one of the top countries that owe the US money. Investors in Switzerland have also increased their holdings of US debt. The country's other main creditors include countries such as Germany and France.
Japan has the highest debt to GDP ratio, standing at 262%. This is followed by Venezuela at 241% and Greece at 193%.
China is one of the United States's largest creditors, owning about $859.4 billion in U.S. debt. 1 However, it does not own the most U.S. debt of any foreign country. Nations borrowing from each other may be as old as the concept of money.
Does Russia hold any US debt?
The value of U.S. Treasury securities held by residents of Russia amounted to 33 million U.S. dollars in June 2023, the lowest over the period under consideration. Furthermore, in March 2020, the figure decreased sharply to 3.85 billion U.S. dollars, down from 12.6 billion U.S. dollars one month prior.
The price of the treasuries would drop, effective raising the return for those who bought the bonds. It would be transient, but in a market where the ten year return is around 2.8%, to have a spike that sharply rises returns would be great for any with the cash to buy what China dumped.
China has an upper middle income, developing, mixed, socialist market economy incorporating industrial policies and strategic five-year plans. It is the world's second largest economy by nominal GDP, behind the United States, and the world's largest economy since 2016 when measured by purchasing power parity (PPP).
The United States pays interest on approximately $850 billion in debt held by the People's Republic of China. China, however, is currently in default on its sovereign debt held by American bondholders.
First, the debt held by the public stands at more than $24.64 trillion. This represents debt securities, like Treasury bonds and notes, bought by banks, insurance companies, state and local governments, foreign governments and private investors.
- Bonds. Using Debt to Pay Debt. ...
- Interest Rates. Maintaining interest rates at low levels can help stimulate the economy, generate tax revenue, and, ultimately, reduce the national debt. ...
- Spending Cuts. From 1921 to 1974, the President led the government budgeting process. ...
- Raising Taxes. ...
- Bailout or Default.
Public Debt In America
Over the following 45 years, the debt grew. Notably, the public debt actually shrank to zero by January 1835, under President Andrew Jackson.
Federal Borrowing
The federal government borrows money from the public by issuing securities—bills, notes, and bonds—through the Treasury. Treasury securities are attractive to investors because they are: Backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government.
Who owns the most U.S. debt? Around 70 percent of U.S. debt is held by domestic financial actors and institutions in the United States. U.S. Treasuries represent a convenient, liquid, low-risk store of value.
Nearly every year, the government spends more than it collects in taxes and other revenue, resulting in a deficit. (The debt ceiling, set by Congress, caps how much the U.S. can borrow to pay for its remaining bills.) The national debt, now at a historic high, is the buildup of its deficits over time.
Is the US debt a problem?
The U.S. national debt has soared to historic levels relative to the size of the U.S. economy. Many economists say that a rapidly mounting debt load could soon diminish U.S. economic growth, restrict government spending on important programs, and raise the likelihood of financial crises.
We estimate that the U.S. debt held by the public cannot exceed about 200 percent of GDP even under today's generally favorable market conditions.
As a result, the U.S. actually did become debt free, for the first and only time, at the beginning of 1835 and stayed that way until 1837. It remains the only time that a major country was without debt.
The infographic below offers different ways of looking at the debt and its relationship to the economy, the budget, and American families. The $34 trillion gross federal debt includes debt held by the public as well as debt held by federal trust funds and other government accounts.
