America owes how much

The Treasury Department is in charge of issuing enough savings bonds, Treasury bonds , and Treasury inflation-protected securities to finance the government's current budget. Revenues generated by taxes are used to pay the bonds that come to maturity. Investors, including banks, foreign governments and individuals, can cash in on these bonds when they reach maturity. The debt ceiling is the cap that is set on what the Treasury Department can issue.

Congress keeps raising the debt ceiling to finance government spending. A deficit occurs when spending increases faster than revenues. The public owes 74 percent of the current federal debt. 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. The Federal Reserve is holding 12 percent of the treasuries issued. US debt: who owns it and how big is it? Photograph: Corbis. It's an issue that's sure to come up in the first presidential debate this Wednesday.

Powered by Tableau. Click heading to sort table. Download this data Country. We have switched off comments on this old version of the site. To comment on crosswords, please switch over to the new version to comment. China gets a lot of attention for holding a big chunk of the U.

China takes the second spot among foreign holders of U. It currently holds The United Kingdom has increased its holdings in U. It would appear odd that Ireland is the fourth-largest holder of U.

However, a big factor in Ireland's place is the fact that many U. Dublin is a focal point for international fund management but also represents the European branches of U. However, there has been a drop in Ireland's U. Luxembourg is the fifth-largest holder of U. Treasuries, equal to about 3. Government Accountability Office. Department of Treasury. Treasury Bonds.

Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for Investopedia. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. Our society is aging as the large baby-boom generation begins to retire — 10, will turn 65 every day through Moreover, people are expected to live longer, on average.

That is great news, but it means that we must prepare for the financial needs of longer retirement. These huge demographic trends put increasing pressure on the federal budget — and in particular on vital programs that serve older and vulnerable Americans like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

The U. We spend nearly three times as much on healthcare as other advanced nations, but our system does not provide better overall health outcomes. Improving the performance of the U. Chart uses purchasing power parities to convert data into U. Learn more about the U. This rapidly growing imbalance between revenues and spending leads to higher and higher annual deficits, and the result is an increasing national debt balance. Similar to a home or car loan, interest payments represent the price we pay to borrow money.

As we borrow more and more, federal interest costs rise and compound. Rapidly growing interest payments are a burden that hinders our future economy. What makes America strong is our willingness to build and leave a better future for the next generation. Unfortunately, our growing debt is doing the opposite. America faces many challenges including rising inequality, unaffordable healthcare, a changing climate, failing education, crumbling infrastructure, and unpredictable security threats.

To address these challenges we will need significant resources.