National Debt by Country 1900–2026 | $35 Trillion Crisis Explained
The USA alone owes $35 trillion — but how did we get here? This 126-year data race shows every debt crisis from WWI to today. Watch as Germany gets crushed by reparations, Japan spirals for 30 years, and COVID adds $20 trillion in just 2 years.
Watch 124 years of national debt data — from the British Empire's war bonds in 1900... to America's staggering rise after COVID. Who was the world's biggest borrower before the USA? When did Japan's debt spiral start? Watch to find out.
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 — 1900: UK leads — Empire finances through bonds
0:45 — 1918: WWI devastates Europe — Germany crushed by reparations
1:30 — 1929: Great Depression — governments borrow to survive
2:15 — 1945: USA hits $259B — WWII was the costliest war in history
3:00 — 1950s: Post-war boom — USA actually PAYS DOWN its debt
3:45 — 1971: Nixon ends gold standard — the money printer era begins
4:30 — 1981: Reagan's tax cuts — US debt TRIPLES in 8 years
5:15 — 1990: Japan's bubble pops — 30 years of debt spiral begins
6:00 — 2000: Clinton surplus — the ONLY time USA paid down modern debt
6:45 — 2008: Financial crisis — $10 TRILLION in bailouts
7:30 — 2020: COVID — $20 trillion added globally in 2 years
8:00 — 2024: USA hits $35T — interest payments top $1T/year
💰 KEY FACTS:
• USA 2024: $35 TRILLION — interest alone costs $1T/year
• Japan: $12T debt but 99% owned domestically — very different risk
• UK after WWII: debt was 240% of GDP — took 40 years to pay down
• 2000: USA had a SURPLUS — Clinton paid down $360B in 4 years
• COVID 2020-2022: Global governments added $20T in just 2 years
COUNTRIES TRACKED:
USA • Japan • China • UK • Germany • France • Italy • India • Brazil • Canada • Spain • Australia • South Korea • Russia • Mexico • Austria • Belgium • Netherlands
📊 DATA SOURCES:
• IMF World Economic Outlook Database
• World Bank — Global Debt Database
• US Treasury Department — Historical Debt Outstanding
• Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
📈 Bar chart race rendered with Remotion + custom React components
💬 COMMENT BELOW:
Does $35 TRILLION scare you? Which country surprised you most? 👇
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