TRIVIA

The U.S. Congress is in the midst of a debate to suspend the public debt limit, without which the federal government would default. This is not the first time this has happened. Because the high indebtedness of the federal government is a chronic problem, "temporary shutdowns" of the government have occurred several times in recent decades. As Democrats and Republicans argue over the issueDo you know what proportion of U.S. GDP the federal government debt represents?

A) 89%

B) 128%

C) 179%

D) 205%

Response: 

B) 128% With US$26.95 trillion, the public debt of the US federal government represents 128% of GDP. This compares to 32.5% of GDP represented by Chile's gross public debt at the end of 2020. 

To view the U.S. debt, you can visit https://datalab.usaspending.gov/americas-finance-guide/debt/