U.S. National Debt Clock October 2026
AS OF OCTOBER 9, 2026
$40,284,036,147,367
The total outstanding public debt of the United States Federal Government
Last Updated:
Live Data from US Treasury · October 7, 2026
United States National Debt
Real-time tracking of the federal debt and its impact on the economy
Debt Per Citizen
$117,859
Based on U.S. population of 341.8 million (Census, July 2025)
Debt Per Taxpayer
$324,215
Estimated based on 124.3M returns with a tax liability (IRS, 2022)
Daily Increase
$7.39B
Average per day over past year
Interest Rate
3.373%
Avg. rate on total marketable debt (Apr 2026)
Debt Composition
| Category | Amount | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Debt Held by the Public | $32,439,260,138,550 | 80.5% |
| Intragovernmental Holdings | $7,844,776,008,817 | 19.5% |
| Total U.S. National Debt | $40,284,036,147,367 | 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 July 2026, approximately 28.5% ($9.25 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 23.0%.
Top 10 Foreign Holders of U.S. Debt
As of July 2026 (Source: Treasury International Capital Data, released September 16, 2026)
| Rank | Country | Holdings (Billions USD) | % of Foreign Debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇯🇵 Japan | $1,103.9 | 11.9% |
| 2 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | $998.3 | 10.8% |
| 3 | 🇨🇳 China | $618.0 | 6.7% |
| 4 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | $470.7 | 5.1% |
| 5 | 🇰🇾 Cayman Islands | $460.1 | 5.0% |
| 6 | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | $442.1 | 4.8% |
| 7 | 🇨🇦 Canada | $426.3 | 4.6% |
| 8 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | $350.2 | 3.8% |
| 9 | 🇫🇷 France | $348.4 | 3.8% |
| 10 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | $296.1 | 3.2% |
Total Foreign Holdings
Of the $9.25 trillion in U.S. debt owned by foreign governments and investors,
Japan, the United Kingdom, and China together hold approximately $2.72 trillion,
representing about 29% of all foreign-held U.S. debt. Notably, China's holdings dropped to $618.0 billion
in July 2026, its lowest level since 2008, while the United Kingdom climbed sharply to $998.3 billion, a jump of $58.4 billion in a single month.
Historical Debt Growth
Growth of U.S. National Debt Over Past 55 Years
| Year | Total National Debt | Change from Previous Period |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Current) | $40,284,036,147,367 | +$12.53T (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) |
Key Interest Payment Information
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Interest Payments (FY 2025) | $970 Billion | Up 158% from FY 2019 |
| FY 2026 Interest (Oct-Apr, 7 mo.) | $628 Billion | Up $41B (7%) from same period in FY 2025 (CBO) |
| Interest as % of GDP | 3.2% | Nearly double pre-COVID levels |
| Projected Interest (FY 2026 Full Year) | ~$1.07 Trillion | Trillion-dollar interest is "the new normal" (CRFB) |
| Interest Paid to Trust Funds (12 months) | $251.8 Billion | $21.0B per month average |
Growing Interest Burden
Interest payments on the national debt have become the fastest-growing federal expense. Through the first seven months of FY 2026
(October-April), the U.S. Treasury paid $628 billion in net interest, up $41 billion (7%) from the same
period a year earlier. Interest is now larger than both Medicare and Medicaid spending, and on pace to exceed
$1.07 trillion for the full fiscal year. The Congressional Budget Office now forecasts net interest
as a share of federal outlays will reach 13.95% in FY 2026,
14.25% in FY 2027, and 14.94% by FY 2028.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money does the United States owe China?
As of July 2026: $618.0 billion (its lowest level since 2008, and down 2.4% from June)
How much money does the United States owe Japan?
As of July 2026: $1.104 trillion (down 1.1% from June, still the largest foreign holder)
How much money does the United States owe the United Kingdom?
As of July 2026: $998.3 billion (up 6.2% from June, now clearly the second largest holder)
How much money does the United States owe Canada?
As of July 2026: $426.3 billion (down 7.2% from June, the steepest fall 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)