Holders of the U.S. Public Debt

In this week's chart, Mercatus Center Senior Research Fellow Veronique de Rugy uses data from the United States Treasury to break down the debt held by the public. In 2000, foreign investors held roughly half as much debt as domestic investors; by the end of 2010, foreign investors comprised the largest category of debt holders.

Today, nearly half of the United States’ debt held by the public is held by foreign investors. 

Veronique de Rugy talks debt on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal.