The U.S. national debt topped $30 trillion, the highest it's ever been, according to Treasury Department data.
National debt grew significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing by $7 trillion since the end of 2019.
Almost $8 trillion of the total $30 trillion in national debt is owed to foreign investors, with Japan and China the top creditors, which must be repaid with interest.
More than $6 trillion of the national debt is owed by the U.S. government to itself through government trust funds, The Hill reported.
Debt has skyrocketed in past decades, beginning with the Great Recession of 2008 and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The national debt was $9.2 trillion in December 2007, before the financial crisis of 2008.
