US Federal Debt

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Total Debt

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Debt-to-GDP Ratio

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Debt Per US Citizen

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Debt Per US Adult

Understanding the US Federal Debt

In most years, the expenditures of the United States government exceed the amount collected in tax receipts. Subsequently, the Treasury Department issues securities to meet it’s unfunded obligations. These securities are sold to the public, foreign governments or held by intergovernmental institutions.

The current debt of the US federal government is {{ debtFormatted | number:3 }} trillion dollars. Of this amount, {{ publicFormatted | number:1 }} trillion is held by the public and {{ intraGovtFormatted | number:1 }} trillion represents intragovernmental holdings.

Who Pays the Debt?

The debt is paid by US taxpayers. Each year, the United States allocates a portion of it’s budget to paying the interest owed on the outstanding debt. For fiscal year 2021, this amount is 168.7 billion dollars.

Who Owns the Public Debt?

Per SIFMA, The public debt is owned by individuals, mutual funds, pension funds, banks, insurance companies and foreign governments.

Sources: US Treasury, SIFMA