U.S. Department of the Treasury

Office of Public Affairs

Press Release: August 31, 2020

Contact: Treasury Public Affairs, (202) 622-2960

Preliminary Annual Report on U.S. Holdings of Foreign Securities 

at Year-End 2019 

Washington – Preliminary data from an annual survey of U.S. portfolio holdings of foreign 

securities at year-end 2019 were released today and posted on the Treasury web site at 

(https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/tic/Pages/shcreports.aspx). The final 

survey report, which will include additional detail as well as possible revisions to the data, will 

be released on October 30, 2020.

The survey was undertaken jointly by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Federal Reserve 

Bank of New York, and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. 

A complementary survey measuring foreign holdings of U.S. securities also is conducted 

annually. Data from the most recent such survey, which reports on securities held on June 30, 

2020, are currently being processed. Preliminary results are expected to be reported on February 

26, 2021.

Overall Preliminary Results

The survey measured the value of U.S. holdings of foreign securities at year-end 2019 at 

approximately $13.1 trillion, with $9.4 trillion held in foreign equities, $3.1 trillion held in 

foreign long-term debt securities (original term-to-maturity in excess of one year), and $0.5

trillion held in foreign short-term debt securities. The previous such survey, conducted as of 

year-end 2018, measured the value of U.S. holdings at $11.3 trillion, with $7.9 trillion held in 

foreign equities, $2.9 trillion held in foreign long-term debt securities, and $0.5 trillion held in 

foreign short-term debt securities.
Table 1. U.S. portfolio holdings of foreign securities, by type of security, as of survey dates

(Billions of dollars)

Type of Security Dec. 31, 2018 Dec. 31, 2019

Long-term securities 10,793 12,581

Equity 7,899 9,445

Long-term debt 2,894 3,136

Short-term debt securities 502 470

Total 11,295 13,051

Table 2. U.S. portfolio holdings of foreign securities, by country of issuer and type of security, 

for the countries attracting the most U.S. portfolio investment, as of December 31, 2019

(Market value, billions of dollars, except as noted)

Total Equity Long-term Debt Short-term Debt

1 Cayman Islands 1,986 1,487 494 5

2 United Kingdom 1,572 1,056 421 95

3 Japan 1,146 927 163 56

4 Canada 1,090 586 393 111

5 France 653 463 165 25

6 Ireland 640 551 80 9

7 Switzerland 584 552 31 1

8 Netherlands 561 360 187 14

9 Germany 469 383 70 16

10 Australia 358 194 121 44

11 Bermuda 272 237 35 *

12 Korea, South 231 211 19 *

13 China, mainland (1) 225 207 15 3

14 Taiwan 216 216 * 0

15 Brazil 200 168 31 1

16 India 200 185 14 1

17 Hong Kong 182 173 7 2

18 Spain 160 113 44 3

19 Sweden 158 110 32 15

20 Luxembourg 151 70 76 4

21 Mexico 149 66 82 1

22 Italy 143 99 44 *

23 Denmark 115 98 16 1

24 Singapore 99 64 11 23

25 International organizations 98 1 84 14

26 Jersey 97 81 14 1

27 South Africa 85 71 14 *

28 Russia 84 67 17 0

29 Indonesia 73 36 36 *

30 British Virgin Islands 71 52 19 *

Rest of world 984 560 401 24

Total 13,051 9,445 3,136 470

* Greater than zero, but less than $500 million. (1) China excludes Hong Kong and Macau, which are reported 

separately.