AARP Hearing Center
The Debt Held by the Public, or public debt, is all federal debt held by individuals, corporations, state or local governments, foreign governments and other entities outside the U.S. Government, less Federal Financing Bank securities.
The types of securities held by the public include, but are not limited to, Treasury bills (T-bills), Treasury notes (T-notes), Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS), U.S. Savings Bonds and State and Local Government Series securities.
SOURCE: Treasury Department
See also: FAQ: How much U.S. debt is owned by foreign countries?
See all terms in the National Debt Glossary
Frequently Asked Questions: National Debt
- How did the national debt get to be so big?
- What's the difference between the debt and the deficit?
- Why can't the government just print more money to get out of debt?
- How much U.S. debt is owned by foreign countries?
See all questions about the national debt. >>
