Who has more debt than the US?
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.
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.
Of the $33T of debt, roughly 78% is owned by the public (70% US vs 30% International). The major US public owners include the FED ($6T, but they are no longer buyers), mutual funds, banks, states, pension funds and insurance companies.
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.
- 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.
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.
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.
Consequences of Owing Debt to the Chinese
If China called in all of its U.S. holdings, the U.S. dollar would depreciate, whereas the yuan would appreciate, making Chinese goods more expensive.
It began rising at a fast rate in the 1980's and was accelerated through events like the Iraq Wars and the 2008 Great Recession. Most recently, the debt made another big jump thanks to the pandemic with the federal government spending significantly more than it took in to keep the country running.
- 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.
Which country has no debt?
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.
Russia owns less than 2.5 $Billion in US Treasury notes, a trifling amount. Russia does not “own” US debt. It just owns bonds that are not callable and it takes its interest payments as agreed. Russia has sold almost 100 $Billion in US bonds to reduce its vulnerability to US sanctions.
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Many people believe that much of the U.S. national debt is owed to foreign countries like China and Japan, but the truth is that most of it is owed to Social Security and pension funds right here in the U.S. This means that U.S. citizens own most of the national debt.
Answer and Explanation: If the U.S. was to pay off their debt ultimately, there is not much that would happen. Paying off the debt implies that the government will now focus on using the revenue collected primarily from taxes to fund its activities.
(In 1835, the $17.9 million budget surplus was greater than the total government expenses for that year.) By January of 1835, for the first and only time, all of the government's interest-bearing debt was paid off.
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).
Russia National Government Debt reached 281.6 USD bn in Feb 2024, compared with 287.8 USD bn in the previous month. Russia National Government Debt data is updated monthly, available from May 2009 to Feb 2024. The data reached an all-time high of 384.2 USD bn in Jun 2022 and a record low of 86.1 USD bn in May 2009.
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 |
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. In very basic terms, this can be thought of as debt that the government owes to others plus debt that it owes to itself.
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.
Why does the US borrow money from China?
Chinese loans to the U.S., through the purchase of U.S. debt, enable the U.S. to buy Chinese products. It's a win-win situation for both nations, with both benefiting mutually. China has a huge market for its products, and the U.S. benefits from the economic prices of Chinese goods.
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.
The total debt is nearly $34 trillion, but changes somewhat depending on how you calculate it. And about a third, or 30%, of the publicly held national debt is owned by foreign countries and foreign investors. The biggest foreign holder of U.S. debt is Japan, followed by China.
China has little overseas debt, and a high national savings rate. In addition, most of the debt is state owned – state-controlled banks loaned funds to state-controlled firms – giving the government the ability to manage the situation.
Decreased savings and income
The private sector will stop seeking investments that can generate growth due to the incentive to save. This includes the lower amount of capital available once individuals stop investing in securities offered by businesses due to treasury securities being more attractive.
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