Who does the US owe the largest debt to?
In total, other territories hold about $7.4 trillion in
Country/territory | US foreign-owned debt (January 2023) |
---|---|
Japan | $1,104,400,000,000 |
China | $859,400,000,000 |
United Kingdom | $668,300,000,000 |
Belgium | $331,100,000,000 |
- Japan. Japan held $1.1 trillion in Treasury securities as of October 2023, beating out China as the largest foreign holder of U.S. debt. ...
- China. China gets a lot of attention for holding a big chunk of the U.S. government's debt. ...
- The United Kingdom. ...
- Luxembourg. ...
- Cayman Islands.
One of the main culprits is consistently overspending. When the federal government spends more than its budget, it creates a deficit. In the fiscal year of 2023, it spent about $381 billion more than it collected in revenues. To pay that deficit, the government borrows money.
Rank | Country | U.S. Treasury Holdings |
---|---|---|
1 | 🇯🇵 Japan | $1,076B |
2 | 🇨🇳 China | $867B |
3 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | $655B |
4 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | $354B |
1) Switzerland
It is no surprise to see Switzerland on this list. Switzerland is a country that, in practically all economic and social metrics, is an example to follow. With a population of almost 9 million people, Switzerland has no natural resources of its own, no access to the sea, and virtually no public 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. These two groups account for 30 percent of the debt.
- Tax hikes alone are rarely enough to stimulate the economy and pay down debt.
- Governments often issue debt in the form of bonds to raise money.
- Spending cuts and tax hikes combined have helped lower the deficit.
- Bailouts and debt defaults have disadvantages but can help a government solve a debt problem.
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.
Under current policy, the United States has about 20 years for corrective action after which no amount of future tax increases or spending cuts could avoid the government defaulting on its debt whether explicitly or implicitly (i.e., debt monetization producing significant inflation).
What is the most indebted country in the world?
Country/Region | Per capita US dollars | External debt USD Million |
---|---|---|
United States | 98,094 | 32.9 trillion |
United Kingdom | 46,754 | 3.24 trillion |
Japan | 34,832 | 4.34 trillion |
Netherlands | 215,569 | 3.79 trillion |
The financial position of the United States includes assets of at least $269 trillion (1576% of GDP) and debts of $145.8 trillion (852% of GDP) to produce a net worth of at least $123.8 trillion (723% of GDP).
![Who does the US owe the largest debt to? (2024)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qjPaYQdqO9A/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEcCNAFEJQDSFXyq4qpAw4IARUAAIhCGAFwAcABBg==&rs=AOn4CLD_l20p4ROKDIbyCD42y-q-ogtHXQ)
The current debt is $31 trillion, and the government collects $3 trillion in tax revenue each year. Allowing for a little interest, and offsetting for inflation, they could do that in a decade (again, imagining that magically the country is able to carry on normally despite zero Federal government spending).
Economists measure the severity of a nation's debt based on its debt-to-GDP ratio. The U.S. debt held by the public is nearly at 100%. The Committee for Economic Develop of the Conference Board says a responsible debt-to-GDP ratio for a country the size of the U.S. would be 70%.
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.
Rising debt reduces business investment and slows economic growth. It also increases expectations of higher rates of inflation and erosion of confidence in the U.S. dollar. The federal government should not allow budget imbalances to harm the economy and families across the country.
Among the most populated countries, the United States ranks second behind Japan in terms of debt as a percentage of GDP. Japan has the world's largest debt-to-GDP ratio, with government debt more than twice the size of its GDP—it's also the least populous nation in this chart.
Public debt in Russia averaged 15.4% of GDP in the decade to 2022, below the average of 32.5% of GDP for Eastern Europe. Public debt in Russia was 18.9% of GDP in 2022.
The dollar is a global reserve currency and U.S. bonds are seen as one of the most stable investments on the planet. So if the U.S. cannot pay its creditors, interest rates on U.S. debt would go up, creating a cascade of higher interest rates. So mortgage rates, credit card rates, car loan rates.
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.
How much is Russia in debt?
Related information about Russia Government Debt: % of GDP
In the latest reports, Russia National Government Debt reached 285.4 USD bn in Dec 2023. The country's Nominal GDP reached 494.7 USD bn in Mar 2023.
On January 8, 1835, President Andrew Jackson achieves his goal of entirely paying off the United States' national debt. It was the only time in U.S. history that the national debt stood at zero, and it precipitated one of the worst financial crises in American history.
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. It's like planting someone at an auction to drive up your prices.
The money for the debts we are talking about has already been appropriated by Congress meaning approved by Congress. Yes the US can print its own currency. It always does. But printing too much leads to inflation and a weakening of the dollar.
About 45 percent of FY 2022 discretionary spending went towards national defense, and most of the rest went for domestic programs, including transportation, education and training, veterans' benefits, income security, and health care (figure 4).
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