Sovereign Debt Ratios
Assessing the sustainability of national leverage.
US Total Public Debt
$34.5 Trillion
US Debt to GDP Ratio
122%
The Reinhart-Rogoff Threshold
Economists fiercely debate whether a specific threshold (often cited as 90%) exists where debt-to-GDP actively suppresses economic growth. The reality is that sovereign debt denominated in a country's own fiat currency functions differently than corporate debt, as the central bank acts as the buyer of last resort.