Key facts about the U.S. national debt
Private investors are the biggest holders of national debt – $24.4 trillion as of March 2025 – followed by federal trust funds and retirement programs.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Drew DeSilver
Senior Writer/Editor
Drew DeSilver is a senior writer at Pew Research Center.
Publications
-
-
short reads
What to know about the bond market
The bond market not only determines how much interest the government must pay to borrow money; it also influences how much interest ordinary Americans will pay on car loans, mortgages and credit card bills.
-
short reads
What the data says about Medicaid
The joint federal-state health insurance program covered 71.4 million Americans as of January 2025.
-
short reads
What the data says about Social Security
Most U.S. adults said Social Security benefits shouldn’t be reduced in any way – a view broadly shared across ages, racial and ethnic groups, partisan affiliations and income brackets.
-
short reads
What we know about veterans who work for the federal government
As of September 2024, more than 700,000 veterans worked in various federal departments and agencies.
-
short reads
How Americans view trade between the U.S. and China, Canada and Mexico
Americans are most skeptical about U.S. trade with China: 10% say it benefits the U.S. more than China, while 46% take the opposite view.
-
short reads
Blue-collar workers are less satisfied at work, less attached to their jobs than other U.S. workers
Among blue-collar workers, 43% say they feel extremely or very satisfied with their jobs; by comparison, 53% of other workers express this level of satisfaction.
-
short reads
What the data says about the U.S. Department of Education
The Education Department is the main conduit for federal aid to public K-12 schools and a major lender to college students.
-
short reads
What the data says about U.S. foreign aid
The $71.9 billion in foreign aid that the government spent in fiscal year 2023 works out to 1.2% of that year’s total federal spending.
-
short reads
Age and generation in the 119th Congress: Somewhat younger, with fewer Boomers and more Gen Xers
The median age of voting members of the House of Representatives is now 57.5 years, while the Senate’s median age is 64.7 years.
