United States National Debt
Real-time tracking of the federal debt and its impact on the economy
01Debt Composition
| Category | Amount | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Debt Held by the Public | $32,597,664,070,880 | 80.6% |
| Intragovernmental Holdings | $7,846,678,638,509 | 19.4% |
| Total U.S. National Debt | $40,444,342,709,389 | 100% |
Who owns the public debt?
The debt held by the public is owned by mutual funds, pension funds, foreign governments, foreign investors, American investors, the Federal Reserve, insurance companies, and other entities. As of August 2026, approximately 28.6% ($9.33 trillion) of it is owned by foreign entities. Measured against the total national debt rather than just the portion held by the public, that share is 23.1%.
02Top 10 Foreign Holders of U.S. Debt
As of August 2026 (Source: Treasury International Capital Data, released October 16, 2026)
| Rank | Country | Holdings (Billions USD) | % of Foreign Debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan | $1,068.3 | 11.4% |
| 2 | United Kingdom | $1,009.5 | 10.8% |
| 3 | China | $590.7 | 6.3% |
| 4 | Belgium | $490.5 | 5.3% |
| 5 | Canada | $464.6 | 5.0% |
| 6 | Cayman Islands | $463.0 | 5.0% |
| 7 | Luxembourg | $448.2 | 4.8% |
| 8 | France | $363.4 | 3.9% |
| 9 | Ireland | $352.1 | 3.8% |
| 10 | Taiwan | $298.4 | 3.2% |
03Historical Debt Growth
Growth of U.S. National Debt Over Past 55 Years
Total national debt in trillions of dollars, from the table below; 2026 is the current figure.
| Year | Total National Debt | Change from Previous Period |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Current) | $40,444,342,709,389 | +$12.69T (6 years) |
| 2020 | $27,750,000,000,000 | +$9.6T (5 years) |
| 2015 | $18,150,000,000,000 | +$4.97T (5 years) |
| 2010 | $13,178,000,000,000 | +$5.8T (6 years) |
| 2004 | $7,379,000,000,000 | +$1.72T (5 years) |
| 1999 | $5,656,000,000,000 | +$963B (5 years) |
| 1994 | $4,693,000,000,000 | +$1.84T (5 years) |
| 1989 | $2,857,000,000,000 | +$1.29T (5 years) |
| 1984 | $1,572,000,000,000 | +$745B (5 years) |
| 1979 | $827,000,000,000 | +$352B (5 years) |
| 1974 | $475,000,000,000 | +$121B (5 years) |
| 1969 | $354,000,000,000 | +$38B (5 years) |
04Key Interest Payment Information
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Interest Payments (FY 2025) | $970 Billion | Up 158% from FY 2019 |
| Net Interest (FY 2026, full year) | $1.052 Trillion | Up $81B (8%) from FY 2025 (Monthly Treasury Statement, September 2026) |
| Interest as % of GDP | 3.2% | Nearly double pre-COVID levels |
| Net Interest Share of Outlays (FY 2026) | 14.2% | $1.052T of $7.396T in total outlays (Monthly Treasury Statement, September 2026) |
| Interest Paid to Trust Funds (12 months) | $251.8 Billion | $21.0B per month average |
05Frequently Asked Questions
How much money does the United States owe China?
As of August 2026: $590.7 billion (down 4.4% from July 2026)
How much money does the United States owe Japan?
As of August 2026: $1.068 trillion (down 3.2% from July 2026, still the largest foreign holder)
How much money does the United States owe the United Kingdom?
As of August 2026: $1.010 trillion (up 1.1% from July 2026, the second largest holder)
How much money does the United States owe Canada?
As of August 2026: $464.6 billion (up 9.0% from July 2026, the biggest rise of any top ten holder)
How much money does the United States owe Russia?
As of 2026: Minimal holdings (Russia has significantly reduced U.S. Treasury holdings)
Cite This Page
This page is free to cite and link. Its figures come from U.S. Treasury, Debt to the Penny (Fiscal Data) and are kept current, so please include the date you accessed it.
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|---|---|---|
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| APA | Manuel, D. (2026). United States Debt Clock. DaveManuel.com. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.davemanuel.com/us-national-debt-clock.php | Copy |
| Chicago | Manuel, Dave. “United States Debt Clock.” DaveManuel.com. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.davemanuel.com/us-national-debt-clock.php. | Copy |
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Source data: U.S. Treasury, Debt to the Penny (Fiscal Data). Updates: Daily. Page last updated October 23, 2026. How we build our data pages.