FAQs
What is the interest rate on the national debt?
The U.S. Treasury pays different interest rates across many types of debt, and those rates move as new debt is issued and older debt matures. To understand the overall cost, investors often look at the average interest rate across interest‑bearing federal debt, which reached 3.35% as of January 31, 2026. 2 That average sits far above the low‑rate period earlier in the decade, which is why interest costs now take up a larger share of government spending than they did when rates were lower. 2
Who owns the U.S. national debt?
A wide range of buyers fund the national debt by purchasing U.S. Treasury securities, including foreign investors, U.S….