Foreign Debt Ownership
What portion of the U.S. national debt is owned by foreign and international entities?
Correct Answer
At the close of the federal government's 2023 fiscal year, foreign and international entities owned $7.6 trillion of the U.S. national debt, or 23% of the total. Per the White House Office of Management & Budget, "During most of American history, the Federal debt was held almost entirely by individuals and institutions within the United States," but foreign and international ownership began to "grow significantly in the early 1970s," "accelerated" in 1995 to 97, and grew thereafter. The second largest owner of this debt is China, and its Communist Party officials have threatened to use this leverage to financially harm the United States.
DocumentationNational Debt Ownership