Why Japan has so much debt?
Essentially, the Japanese government's strategy is to borrow at an extremely cheap rate and invest in risky, high-return assets—a factor that partially explains why Japan can sustain a high level of debt despite running a consistent deficit.
It's mostly owed to the Japanese people in the form of government bonds. The Japanese government owes each of its citizens about 7.5 million yen. Since 95% of its debt is held domestically, its economy is not as precarious as it would be if it were debt to foreign countries. Or is it?
The United States owes a significant amount of debt to Japan for several reasons down below! (A) Trade Imbalance - The United States has had a persistent trade deficit with Japan for many years. This means that the U.S. buys more goods and services from Japan than it sells to Japan.
The government reported the economy shrank at an annual rate of 0.4% in October to December, according to Cabinet Office data on real GDP released Thursday, though it grew 1.9% for all of 2023. It contracted 2.9% in July-September.
At the top is Japan, whose national debt has remained above 100% of its GDP for two decades, reaching 255% in 2023.
Foreign-Owned US Debt: An Overview
Among other countries, Japan and China have continued to be the top owners of US debt during the last two decades. Since the dollar is a strong currency that is accepted globally, holding a substantial amount of US debt can be beneficial.
Japan owns the most at $1.1 trillion, followed by China, with $859 billion, and the United Kingdom at $668 billion.
1) Switzerland. It is no surprise to see Switzerland on this list. 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.
Many people believe that much of the U.S. national debt is owed to foreign countries like China and Japan, but the truth is that most of it is owed to Social Security and pension funds right here in the U.S. This means that U.S. citizens own most of the national debt.
China owes the United States $1.3 trillion, which is the most debt out of all the countries that are its debtors. Japan was the primary debt holder until 2008, but now comes in second place, with $1.2 trillion. Other countries with outstanding U.S. debt include Russia, India and South Korea.
Is Japan a poor or rich country?
Despite being one of the world's richest nations, Japan has one of the highest rates of child poverty among the world's wealthy countries, with one in every seven children living in poverty. About half of single-parent households live below the poverty line.
The economic recovery is expected to continue. Growth is projected to decelerate in 2024, owing to fading of one-off factors that supported growth in 2023, including a surge in inbound tourism.
The United States is the undisputed heavyweight when it comes to the economies of the world. America's gross domestic product in 2022 was more than 40% greater than that of China, the world No. 2. Even more striking, U.S. GDP was over five times that of the next two largest economies, Japan and Germany.
It began rising at a fast rate in the 1980's and was accelerated through events like the Iraq Wars and the 2008 Great Recession. Most recently, the debt made another big jump thanks to the pandemic with the federal government spending significantly more than it took in to keep the country running.
With $1.1 trillion in Treasury holdings, Japan is the largest foreign holder of U.S. debt.
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. Nations borrowing from each other may be as old as the concept of money.
Analysts say it is unlikely Japan will meet its aim of getting the primary budget balance, excluding new bond sales and debt servicing costs, into the black by the fiscal year-end in March 2026.
As of October 2023, Japan held United States treasury securities totaling about 1.1 trillion U.S. dollars.
On the other hand, Mexico holds about $34B of US debt. So if we were to make a balance, Mexico owes the US $134B, more or less, or about 8% of what it makes in a year.
- Tax hikes alone are rarely enough to stimulate the economy and pay down debt.
- Governments often issue debt in the form of bonds to raise money.
- Spending cuts and tax hikes combined have helped lower the deficit.
- Bailouts and debt defaults have disadvantages but can help a government solve a debt problem.
Who does the US borrow money from?
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.
After the defeat of Japan in World War II, the United States led the Allies in the occupation and rehabilitation of the Japanese state. Between 1945 and 1952, the U.S. occupying forces, led by General Douglas A. MacArthur, enacted widespread military, political, economic, and social reforms.
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.
Ecuador, Argentina, Paraguay are all countries that have refused to repay debts to the World Bank, the IMF, the Paris Club and bankers. Eric Toussaint mentioned these examples yesterday at the UCAD press conference at the World Social Forum .
Luxembourg, whose financial sector makes up 25% of its GDP, is the world's richest country by GDP per capita. With a population of just 660,000, the country is also considered a tax haven, incentivizing foreign investment due to its favorable tax policies.
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