A viral claim circulating on social media asserts that foreign buyers now snap up 71% of newly issued US debt, a dramatic jump from roughly 14% between 2015 and 2022. The numbers have sparked heated debate about America’s fiscal trajectory and what it means for markets. The real picture is more nuanced than a single data point suggests, but the underlying trend is genuinely significant.

Foreign holdings of US federal debt have climbed to approximately $9.2 trillion as of December 2025, sitting on top of a $30.1 trillion pile of publicly held debt. That’s up from $7.7 trillion in December 2021, a $1.5 trillion increase in absolute terms. Whether the “71% of new issuances” figure holds up to scrutiny is a…