Who does the US borrow the most money from?
As of January 2023, the five countries owning the most
Investors in Japan and China hold significant shares of U.S. public debt. Together, as of September 2022, they accounted for nearly $2 trillion, or about 8 percent of DHBP. While China's holdings of U.S. debt have declined over the past decade, Japan has slightly increased their purchases of U.S. Treasury securities.
- Bermuda. Total Debt Held: $77.4 Billion. ...
- Germany. Total Debt Held: $91.3 Billion. ...
- Norway. Total Debt Held: $104.4 Billion. ...
- Korea. Total Debt Held: $105.8 Billion. ...
- Saudi Arabia. Total Debt Held: $111 Billion. ...
- France. Total Debt Held: $183.9 Billion. ...
- Singapore. ...
- Brazil.
Foreign holders of United States treasury debt
Of the total 7.6 trillion held by foreign countries, Japan and Mainland China held the greatest portions, with China holding 868.9 billion U.S. dollars in U.S. securities. Other foreign holders included oil exporting countries and Caribbean banking centers.
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.
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.
At the top is Japan, whose national debt has remained above 100% of its GDP for two decades, reaching 255% in 2023.
- 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.
Tax cuts, stimulus programs, increased government spending, and decreased tax revenue caused by widespread unemployment generally account for sharp rises in the national debt.
Intragovernmental debt accounts for 26 percent or $5.9 trillion. The public includes foreign investors and foreign governments. These two groups account for 30 percent of the debt. Individual investors and banks represent 15 percent of the debt.
Who owns over 70% of the U.S. debt?
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.
Debt as a share of GDP has risen to about the same level as in the United States, while in dollar terms China's total debt ($47.5 trillion) is still markedly below that of the United States (close to $70 trillion). As for non-financial corporate debt, China's 28 percent share is the largest in the world.
U.S. Treasury securities held by Russia monthly 2020-2023
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.
If China “dumped” USA treasuries, they would take a serious monetary loss. The price of the treasuries would drop, effective raising the return for those who bought the bonds.
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.
Luxembourg, whose financial sector makes up 25% of its GDP, is the world's richest country by GDP per capita. With a population of just 660,000, the country is also considered a tax haven, incentivizing foreign investment due to its favorable tax policies.
- The Bahamas. Debt-to-GDP Ratio (2024): 83.7. ...
- China. Debt-to-GDP Ratio (2024): 87.4. ...
- Egypt. Debt-to-GDP Ratio (2024): 88.1. ...
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Debt-to-GDP Ratio (2024): 89.2. ...
- Brazil. Debt-to-GDP Ratio (2024): 90.3. ...
- Republic of Congo. ...
- Dominica. ...
- Jordan.
The U.S., China, Japan, Germany, and India are some of the top economies in the world, based on gross domestic product (GDP). GDP is an estimate of the total value of finished goods and services produced within a country's borders during a specified period, usually a year.
China owns roughly 384,000 acres of U.S. agricultural land, according to a 2021 report from the Department of Agriculture.
One theory: “They have to sell these Treasurys to help support the yuan,” he said. Selling Treasurys is a fast way to whip up U.S. dollars, and China will sometimes use extra dollars to go out on the global market and buy up their own currency. That artificially pumps up its value.
Does France owe the US money?
1 Next to Great Britain, whose debt (funded in 1923) amounted to $4,577,000,000, the debt of France is the largest owed to the United States by any foreign power. Italy stands third with a debt, principal and accrued interest, of $2,097,347,122.82.
Rank | Metro | Average amount of consumer debt |
---|---|---|
1 | Atlanta, GA | $45,891 |
2 | Dallas, TX | $45,541 |
3 | Washington, DC | $45,337 |
4 | Austin, TX | $44,541 |
With $1.1 trillion in Treasury holdings, Japan is the largest foreign holder of U.S. debt. Japan surpassed China as the top holder in 2019 as China shed over $250 billion, or 30% of its holdings in four years. This bond offloading by China is the one way the country can manage the yuan's exchange rate.
Why Is the U.S. Debt So High? Essentially, because the government repeatedly spends more money than it receives in tax revenue. Many point to tax cuts passed by Congress as the major culprit for decreasing this income. Others point to out-of-control, politically-driven spending as the reason.
Becoming debt-free doesn't happen overnight. A plan is typically required to pay down existing debt, a broad plan that should entail tracking expenses, creating a budget, reducing expenses where possible, giving your income a boost, monitoring your credit score, and building an emergency fund.