U.S. National Debt Clock March 2026
AS OF MARCH 16, 2026
$38,822,453,250,463
The total outstanding public debt of the United States Federal Government
Last Updated:
Live Data from US Treasury
United States National Debt
Real-time tracking of the federal debt and its impact on the economy
Debt Per Citizen
$114,184
Based on U.S. population of ~340 million
Debt Per Taxpayer
$310,580
Estimated based on ~125M taxpayers
Daily Increase
$6.43B
Average per day over past year
Interest Rate
3.348%
Avg. rate on total marketable debt (Jan 2026)
Debt Composition
| Category | Amount | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Debt Held by the Public | $30,960,000,000,000 | 80.3% |
| Intragovernmental Holdings | $7,610,000,000,000 | 19.7% |
| Total U.S. National Debt | $38,560,000,000,000 | 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 December 2025, approximately 30% ($9.27 trillion) is held by foreign entities.
Top 10 Foreign Holders of U.S. Debt
As of December 2025 (Source: Treasury International Capital Data)
| Rank | Country | Holdings (Billions USD) | % of Foreign Debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇯🇵 Japan | $1,185.5 | 12.8% |
| 2 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | $866.0 | 9.3% |
| 3 | 🇨🇳 China | $683.5 | 7.4% |
| 4 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | $477.3 | 5.1% |
| 5 | 🇨🇦 Canada | $468.1 | 5.0% |
| 6 | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | $435.1 | 4.7% |
| 7 | 🇰🇾 Cayman Islands | $421.2 | 4.5% |
| 8 | 🇫🇷 France | $368.9 | 4.0% |
| 9 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | $340.7 | 3.7% |
| 10 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | $310.6 | 3.3% |
Total Foreign Holdings
Of the $9.27 trillion in U.S. debt owned by foreign governments and investors,
Japan, the United Kingdom, and China together hold approximately $2.74 trillion,
representing about 30% of all foreign-held U.S. debt.
Historical Debt Growth
Growth of U.S. National Debt Over Past 55 Years
| Year | Total National Debt | Change from Previous Period |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Current) | $38,560,000,000,000 | +$10.81T (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 |
| Interest as % of GDP | 3.2% | Nearly double pre-COVID levels |
| Interest as % of Federal Spending | 15.4% | Third-largest federal expenditure |
| Projected Interest (FY 2026) | ~$1.0 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. In FY 2025,
interest payments ($970 billion) were the third-largest federal expenditure behind
Social Security and Medicare, and exceeded defense spending. The Congressional Budget Office forecasts
interest as a share of federal outlays will reach 14.52% by FY 2028.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money does the United States owe China?
As of December 2025: $683.5 billion
How much money does the United States owe Japan?
As of December 2025: $1.19 trillion
How much money does the United States owe the United Kingdom?
As of December 2025: $866 billion
How much money does the United States owe Canada?
As of December 2025: $468.1 billion
How much money does the United States owe Russia?
As of 2025: Minimal holdings (Russia has significantly reduced U.S. Treasury holdings)