United States Gross External Debt: Top 10 Countries holding the most US debt in 2025

A country's gross external debt is the liabilities that are owed to nonresidents by residents. The debtors can be governments, corporations or citizens. External debt may be denominated in domestic or foreign currency. It includes amounts owed to private commercial banks, foreign governments, or international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. The current U.S. debt is approximately $36.2 trillion, according to the U.S. Treasury. For the average American, that number is so large it’s hard to even comprehend. But that’s not the only perspective worth noting. When compared with the total net worth held by the American public, the debt becomes much more rational. Total U.S. household net worth is currently over $160 trillion. Per the U.S. Treasury, here are the top 10 countries holding U.S. debt in 2025. Japan ...