What is the sovereign debt also known as?
Overview. Public debt, or sovereign debt, is an important way for governments to finance investments in growth and development. However, it is also critical that governments are able to continue servicing their debt and that their debt burden remains sustainable.
Abstract. Government debt (also known as public debt and national debt) is the debt owed by a central government.
What is Sovereign Debt? Sovereign debt is the government debt of a country, a sovereign nation. It is also referred to as government debt, national debt, public debt, or country debt.
A country's gross government debt (also called public debt, or sovereign debt) is the financial liabilities of the government sector. Changes in government debt over time reflect primarily borrowing due to past government deficits. A deficit occurs when a government's expenditures exceed revenues.
The U.S. Treasury uses the terms “national debt,” “federal debt,” and “public debt” interchangeably. Revenue.
Budget Deficits. The federal government runs a budget deficit whenever spending exceeds tax collections and other revenue. To make up the difference, the U.S. Treasury sells Treasury bills, notes, and bonds. The national debt is the aggregate of the federal government's annual budget deficits minus surpluses.
The major international owners of US debt include Japan ($1.1T), China, UK, Belgium, Switzerland, Cayman Islands and smaller amounts from the rest of the world. After the recent weak treasury auction, US government officials warned that they are seeing waning demand from international buyers.
Asset managers, such as pension funds, typically hold a large amount of government debt. They need relatively safe long-term assets to match their long-term liabilities. Banks also hold large amounts of sovereign debt, especially of governments in the countries where they are based.
High sovereign debt levels are associated with slower economic growth and rising default risk. Government borrowers able to issue bonds in their own country's currency are less likely to default.
1) Switzerland
Switzerland is a country that, in practically all economic and social metrics, is an example to follow. With a population of almost 9 million people, Switzerland has no natural resources of its own, no access to the sea, and virtually no public debt.
Who owes the US money?
In total, other territories hold about $7.4 trillion in U.S. debt. Japan owns the most at $1.1 trillion, followed by China, with $859 billion, and the United Kingdom at $668 billion. In isolation, this $7.4 trillion amount is a lot, said Scott Morris, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development.
Federal Borrowing
The federal government borrows money from the public by issuing securities—bills, notes, and bonds—through the Treasury. Treasury securities are attractive to investors because they are: Backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government.
Why History Shows the United States Will Not Grow Out of Its Debt. The United States is approaching record levels of debt. Debt held by the public totaled 97 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) at the end of 2022 and is on track to exceed its previous all-time high, which occurred just after World II, by 2029.
Having no more debt means, that the government does not have to pay interest anymore. This can mean, that there is more money free to spend on other things like infrastructure or welfare.
At the top is Japan, whose national debt has remained above 100% of its GDP for two decades, reaching 255% in 2023.
China is one of the United States's largest creditors, owning about $859.4 billion in U.S. debt. 1 However, it does not own the most U.S. debt of any foreign country.
One of the main culprits is consistently overspending. When the federal government spends more than its budget, it creates a deficit. In the fiscal year of 2023, it spent about $381 billion more than it collected in revenues. To pay that deficit, the government borrows money.
U.S. publicly held debt 2013-2024
In March 2024, the public debt of the United States was around 34.59 trillion U.S. dollars, almost two trillion more than in July when it was around 32.6 trillion U.S. dollars.
Debt-to-GDP Ratio
The $34 trillion is also bigger than our own economy. The United States' gross domestic product, or GDP, which is the sum total of all the goods and services we produce in a year, is about is about $27 trillion.
As a result, totals from January 2023 are lower than reported. As of January 2023, the five countries owning the most US debt are Japan ($1.1 trillion), China ($859 billion), the United Kingdom ($668 billion), Belgium ($331 billion), and Luxembourg ($318 billion).
What happens if China dumps US bonds?
If China (or any other nation that has a trade surplus with the U.S.) stops buying U.S. Treasuries or even starts dumping its U.S. forex reserves, its trade surplus would become a trade deficit—something which no export-oriented economy would want, as they would be worse off as a result.
Debt as a share of GDP has risen to about the same level as in the United States, while in dollar terms China's total debt ($47.5 trillion) is still markedly below that of the United States (close to $70 trillion). As for non-financial corporate debt, China's 28 percent share is the largest in the world.
The world is looking at a debt crisis that will span the next 10 years, said economist Arthur Laffer Jr. Global debt hit a record of $307.4 trillion in the third quarter of 2023, with a substantial increase in both high-income countries and emerging markets.
The European Sovereign Debt Crisis refers to the financial crisis that occurred in several European countries due to high government debt and institutional failures. The crisis began in 2009 when Greece's sovereign debt reportedly reached 113% of GDP – almost twice the limit of 60% set by the Eurozone.
Managing sovereign debt risk is crucial to maintain economic stability. High levels of debt can lead to reduced investor confidence, higher borrowing costs, and potential default.
