Which of the following is the largest owner of U.S. federal government debt?
Correct Answer
At the close of the federal government's 2016 fiscal year, foreign & international entities owned 45% of the U.S. government's publicly held debt, as opposed to 10% by mutual funds, and 1% by private owners of U.S. saving bonds. Per Obama's Office of Management & Budget, "During most of American history, the Federal debt was held almost entirely by individuals and institutions within the United States. In the late 1960s, foreign holdings were just over $10 billion, less than 5 percent of the total Federal debt held by the public. Foreign holdings began to grow significantly starting in the 1970s and now represent almost half of outstanding debt."
DocumentationNational Debt Ownership