(Reuters) – The U.S. government has nearly $36 trillion of debt on issue and its bonds are the bedrock of the global financial system.
President Donald Trump said Sunday his administration was examining Treasury debt payments for possible fraud and suggested that the country’s debt might not be that high – remarks that may unsettle investors who regard the U.S. as creditworthy and its debt as a safe asset.
Treasuries are held widely and used globally as financial reserves, as a benchmark for pricing and as collateral for borrowing. Below is a breakdown of U.S. debt ownership.
By owner:
Owner Holding size (U.S.
dollars)
U.S. Federal Reserve $4.7 trillion
system
Social Security and $2.4 trillion
other U.S. agencies
Foreign investors $8.7 trillion
U.S. investors and $19.7 trillion
other U.S. holders
And by foreign investor:
Country/Region/City Holding size (U.S. dollars)
Japan $1,099 billion
China $768.6 billion
Britain $765.6 billion
Luxembourg $424.5 billion
Cayman Islands $397 billion
Canada $374.4 billion
Belgium $361.3 billion
Ireland $338.1 billion
France $332.5 billion
Switzerland $300.6 billion
Taiwan $286.9 billion
Singapore $257.7 billion
Hong Kong $255.7 billion
India $234 billion
Brazil $229 billion
Norway $159 billion
Saudi Arabia $135.6 billion
South Korea $127.8 billion
Mexico $100.8 billion
Germany $97.7 billion
Rest of World $1,589 billion
Foreign ownership data is compiled monthly by the U.S. Treasury, which says it relies mostly on U.S.-based custodians and that because securities held in custody accounts may not be attributed to the actual owners, the data may not provide a precise account of individual country ownership of Treasuries.
Total U.S. debt is $35.5 trillion and it has been rising.
(Reporting by Tom Westbrook; Editing by Stephen Coates)
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