External debt: $20,275,951,000,000 (2019 est.)
$19,452,478,000,000 (2018 est.)
note: approximately 4/5ths of US external debt is denominated in US dollars; foreign lenders have been willing to hold US dollar denominated debt instruments because they view the dollar as the world's reserve currency
Definition: This entry gives the total public and private debt owed to nonresidents repayable in internationally accepted currencies, goods, or services. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.
Source: CIA World Factbook - This page was last updated on Saturday, September 18, 2021
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