There is little debate that the U.S. Debt is in a bad way and getting worse. It has ballooned over 100% since 2000, when it was just $5.75 trillion. Amazingly, in spite of constantly growing debt levels, individuals and countries around the globe continue to persist in their demand for U.S. debt. With almost blind faith they bet on the strength of the American taxpayers and government revenues generated by the country’s economic traffic. In the minds of many, it may appear that the United States’ debt position, which is the biggest in the world, is also the worst. But if we look at the numbers on a more comparative basis, the total amount of national debt owed by the U.S., even though still rather high, appear more palatable than that of other nations. Time will tell if it stays that way.

The following is a list of one end of the spectrum of nations with their debt revealed as a percentage of their gross domestic product (GDP).

01. Ireland – 1,239% of GDP

02. United Kingdom – 451.4% of GDP

03. Switzerland – 391.3% of GDP

04. Netherlands – 367% of GDP

05. Belgium – 353.7% of GDP

06. Denmark – 283.2% of GDP

07. Hong Kong – 265.7% of GDP

08. Sweden – 262.3% of GDP

09. France – 254.4% of GDP

10. Norway – 246.9% of GDP

11. Finland – 244.8% of GDP

12. Austria – 241.3% of GDP

13. Portugal – 207.3% of GDP

14. Germany – 183.9% of GDP

15. Greece – 178.9% of GDP

16. Spain – 169.5% of GDP

17. Australia – 139.9% of GDP

18. Italy – 136.6% of GDP

19. Hungary – 110.3% of GDP

20. United States – 99.46% of GDP

The U.S. debt, which is money borrowed by the U.S. Government, sold in the form of treasury securities, is not only held by foreign countries like China and Japan, but also by businesses, organizations and individuals within the U.S.

The following is a list of the biggest Holders of U.S. Government Debt

01. Federal Reserve and Intra-governmental Holdings – $6.326 trillion

02. China – $1.132 trillion

03. Other Investor/Savings Bonds – $1.107 trillion

04. Japan – $1.038 trillion

05. Pension Funds – $842.2 billion

06. Mutual Funds – $653.5 billion

07. State and Local Governments – $484.4 billion

08. United Kingdom – $429.4 billion

09. Depository Institutions – 284.5 billion

10. Insurance Companies – $250.1 billion

11. Oil Exporters – Holding $232 billion

12. Brazil – Holding $206.4 billion

13. Caribbean Banking Centers – $185.2 billion

14. Taiwan – Holding $149.6 Billion

15. Switzerland – Holding $113.9 billion

It is a long list and unenviable to be one of the biggest holders of U.S. government debt