Canada is the fifth-largest holder of US debt

EconomicsFinance

Jan 30

Released: Friday, January 30, 2026

It’s Friday, and that means it’s time for another chart of the week. According to the United States Department of the Treasury, the US national debt stands at $37.64 trillion, about a quarter of which is owned by foreign countries through US Treasury Securities such as T-bills, T-notes, and Treasury bonds. Treasury securities are fully backed by the United States government and are viewed as stable and low-risk investments. As of November 2025, Canada owned $472 billion of US debt, making it the fifth-largest holder of US debt. Canada’s position has tripled since January 2020.

Data for this week’s chart comes from the United States Department of the Treasury.

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FWD EDITORS

We’re a team of data enthusiasts and storytellers. Our goal is to share stories we find interesting in hopes of inspiring others to incorporate data and data visualizations in the stories they create.

Canada is the fifth-largest holder of US debt

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