The United States has the world’s highest national debt at $31.4 trillion.
Published On 31 May 202331 May 2023
|
1 Jun 2023
04:05 AM (GMT)
Global debt currently stands at $305 trillion, $45 trillion higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Institute of International Finance (IIF) – a global association of the financial industry.
Global debt is the total amount of money owed by corporations, governments and individuals around the world. Of the $305 trillion of debt, corporations account for $161.7 trillion (53 percent), governments owe $85.7 trillion (28 percent) and individuals comprise $57.6 trillion (19 percent).
Keep reading
list of 4 items
list 1 of 4list 2 of 4list 3 of 4list 4 of 4end of list
The IIF predicts that global debt will continue to rise as government borrowing remains high, affected by factors such as ageing populations, geopolitical tensions, increased costs of healthcare and disparities in climate finance.
Which countries have the most debt?
Government debt represents the outstanding financial liabilities of a country, made up of different categories such as loans and debt securities.
The IIF’s Global Debt Monitor covers 21 mature market economies including the eurozone as well as 30 emerging market countries.
The United States has the world’s highest national debt with $30.1 trillion owed to creditors as of the first quarter of 2023. Washington’s debt now stands at $31.4 trillion, raising further concerns about US government spending and borrowing costs.
To put that in context, the US owes as much money as the next four countries with the highest debt including China ($14 trillion), Japan ($10.2 trillion), France ($3.1 trillion) and Italy ($2.9 trillion).
The chart below ranks government debt around the world.
Which countries have enough money to pay back debts?
Countries with high levels of debt may offset their payments if their gross domestic product (GDP) – a measure of the total value of the goods and services a country produces – is higher than their national debt.
A government’s debt-to-GDP ratio, which compares the size of a country’s debt with its economy, is one indicator of a government’s financial sustainability. Any value greater than 100 percent indicates a country is spending more than it is making.
According to IIF, global governmental debt-to-GDP stands at 95.5 percent.
Japan, the world’s third largest economy, has the highest debt-to-GDP ratio at 239 percent. Tokyo’s high debt-to-GDP ratio can be partly attributed to its ageing population and social welfare costs.
Greece has the second highest debt-to-GDP ratio at 197 percent, followed by Singapore (165 percent), Italy (135 percent), and the US (116 percent).
What is the US debt ceiling?
The debt ceiling is the maximum amount of money the government can borrow. On January 19, the US hit its borrowing limit of $31.4 trillion. Since then, the Treasury has implemented a number of measures to avoid failing to pay back its legal obligations, known as a default.
A US default would likely push the country into a major recession, shake the world economy and lead to a spike in unemployment.
On May 28, after weeks of negotiations, US President Joe Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, reached a tentative deal to raise the debt ceiling for two years while capping some spending.
After calling for a recorded vote, the House of Representatives voted to advance the bill 314 – 117 in a late night sitting on Wednesday.
FAQs
The United States has the world's largest national economy but comes in second for most indebted country. The U.S.'s steadily rising debt-to-GDP ratio hit 121.38% in 2022, making it the third-highest in our study.
How does the U.S. debt compare to the rest of the world? ›
As of 2023, the United States' debt-to-GDP ratio is among the highest in the developed world, behind only Japan and Italy. However, the United States has long been the world's largest economy, with no record of defaulting on its debt.
Where is the US ranked in debt? ›
But which countries have the world's highest national debt? The answer to that question merits a bit of explanation. In terms of raw dollars, the country with the highest debt in the world is unquestionably the United States, whose national debt is more than twice that of any other country.
Is the U.S. debt larger than the economy? ›
Currently the nation's $34 trillion debt is approximately 99% of GDP and, according to the CBO, will steadily increase over the next 30 years. In the near term, the CBO expects debt as a percentage of GDP to exceed the record peak of the Second World War by 2029.
Does the US have the worst debt? ›
The United States has the largest external debt in the world. The total number of U.S. Treasury securities held by foreign entities in December 2021 was $7.7 trillion, up from $7.1 trillion in December 2020.
Who has more debt, China or the USA? ›
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.
What country has the highest debt? ›
At the top is Japan, whose national debt has remained above 100% of its GDP for two decades, reaching 255% in 2023.
What country owns most US debt? ›
- Japan. Japan held $1.15 trillion in Treasury securities as of January 2024, 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. ...
- Canada.
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.
Who owns US debt the most? ›
Nearly half of all US foreign-owned debt comes from five countries. All values are adjusted to 2023 dollars. As of January 2023, the five countries owning the most US debt are Japan ($1.1 trillion), China ($859 billion), the United Kingdom ($668 billion), Belgium ($331 billion), and Luxembourg ($318 billion).
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 would happen if the US debt was paid off? ›
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.
How is the US the richest country with so much debt? ›
How can the United States be considered one of the wealthiest nations in the world with a debt over $20 trillion? Because total US assets are $225 trillion. Nobody else comes close. The United States government owes $20 trillion, but it has no problem servicing the debt because it's all at low interest rates.
Which country has no debt? ›
1) Switzerland
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.
What states are debt free? ›
The least indebted state is Oklahoma, according to the report, followed by Iowa and a tie for third with New Hampshire and Nebraska. The fifth best state in the category is Ohio. The next five best states, from best to worst, are Wyoming, Indiana, and Wisconsin, with Vermont and South Dakota tied in their ranking.
Who owes the US money? ›
In total, other territories hold about $7.4 trillion in U.S. debt. Japan owns the most at $1.1 trillion, followed by China, with $859 billion, and the United Kingdom at $668 billion. In isolation, this $7.4 trillion amount is a lot, said Scott Morris, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development.
How much of the US debt is to other countries? ›
How much US debt do foreign countries own? As of January 2023, foreign countries own $7.4 trillion in Treasurys — or roughly 24% of total US debt. Over the past two decades, central banks and other government entities have owned 50-75% of foreign-owned debt. Independent investors and companies held the rest.
How much money does the US owe the rest of the world? ›
The US government owes money to governments, central banks, companies, and individual investors around the world. As reported by the US Department of the Treasury, the US owes a total of $7.4 trillion in Treasury securities to foreign countries.
Which country holds more US debt than any other? ›
Top Foreign Holders of U.S. Debt
With $1.1 trillion in Treasury holdings, Japan is the largest foreign holder of U.S. debt.
How much does the US budget deficit compare to other countries? ›
According to the OECD, the U.S. leads member countries in general government deficit as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at 6.6 percent in 2018, with the next five countries – Israel, Japan, Spain, France, and the U.K. – all having deficits below 4 percent of GDP.
