U.S. National Debt per Person Now 7.5× Higher Than China’s

The latest international debt comparison reveals a sharp imbalance in how government borrowing translates into individual economic burden. As of February 2026, the United States has the highest per-capita national debt among major economies, placing it far ahead of both allies and strategic rivals.

On a per-person basis, U.S. national debt now stands at $110,848, compared with $14,764 in China — a gap of roughly 7.5 times. The difference illustrates how population size and fiscal structure fundamentally reshape the real impact of sovereign debt.

According to data presented by TechGaged.com, this divergence is not driven by total debt alone. China’s more than $20.8 trillion in national debt is distributed across a population exceeding 1.4 billion, significantly diluting the per-person burden. The United States, by contrast, distributes $38.7 trillion in debt among roughly 349 million people, thereby sharply magnifying the metric.

Across advanced economies, the U.S. stands in a category of its own. Japan follows at $90,502 per person, while Belgium ($72,943), Canada ($72,573), Italy ($66,524), France ($65,771), and the UK ($64,635) cluster well below U.S. levels. Even large economies such as Germany ($43,039) and Australia ($38,990) remain far lower on a per-person basis.

Why This Gap Matters for Crypto and Monetary Risk

In crypto markets, the per-person debt gap is more than a fiscal curiosity; it reflects divergent monetary risk profiles. High per-person debt levels historically correlate with greater reliance on monetary expansion, persistent deficits, and limited room for fiscal tightening without economic disruption.

In the U.S., the combination of elevated per-person debt and ongoing borrowing reinforces long-term concerns around currency debasement, real interest rates, and debt monetization. These dynamics help explain why Bitcoin and other scarce digital assets are increasingly framed by investors as macro hedges rather than speculative instruments.

China’s lower per-capita debt does not imply lower total risk, but it does signal a different leverage structure. A larger population base allows Beijing to absorb higher aggregate debt with less immediate per-capita pressure, thereby offering greater flexibility in managing growth slowdowns without resorting to aggressive monetary expansion.

The contrast is even clearer when viewed globally. Emerging economies such as Brazil ($11,097 per person), India ($2,533), and Indonesia ($2,327) carry far lighter per-person debt burdens, which limit near-term monetary stress but often come at the cost of reduced capital access and slower growth.

While national debt per person is not a direct personal liability, it remains a powerful signal of future policy constraints.

For crypto investors, the data reinforce a familiar thesis: as sovereign debt accumulates faster than population growth, the appeal of decentralized, supply-constrained assets tends to rise—particularly in economies where the per-person burden is already at historic highs.