national debts

What governments owe

National debts are the total amounts governments owe to creditors—bondholders, foreign governments, and domestic institutions.

A country accumulates national debt by spending more than it collects in revenue, borrowing to cover the difference.

The national debt differs from annual deficits: the deficit is what's added each year; the debt is the running total.

The national debt has tripled over the past two decades.

Related

bills · maturity date · government bonds · credit rating · credit downgrade · reparations · treasury bonds · dues · war bonds · fiscal policy · hyperinflation · monetary policy · austerity measures · balanced budget · economic impact · central bank · printing money · deficit spending

Opposites
fiscal position

national debtsnational reserves

Government-held emergency resources

government assets · budget surplus · trade surplus

scale/level of debt

national debtspersonal loans

Unsecured funds lent to individuals

credit card debt · mortgages · student loans

economic philosophy

national debtsbalanced budgets

Expenditures matching revenue

fiscal responsibility · austerity · fiscal conservatism · pay-as-you-go · fiscal discipline

Family

national, nation, nations, nationally, nationalism, nationalist, nationalists, nationalistic, nationalize

Familiarity
Top 100,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated G