No, it isn't the same in the US. Reserves are vault cash plus deposits at the Fed. You cannot use USTs to count towards your reserves (and it wouldn't matter i

No, it isn't the same in the US. Reserves are vault cash plus deposits at the Fed. You cannot use USTs to count towards your reserves (and it wouldn't matter if you could, the reserve ratio isn't a binding monetary policy tool, excess reserves in the US banking system are close to $1trn). You are right that pension funds own a lot of bonds...this makes sense because there are very few long-dated securities that can be used to match liabilities...but the US pension fund system is relatively dynamic, and has a big allocation to alternatives. The European savings market is also totally different to the US: outside of govt bonds their financial markets are essentially non-existent relative to the US, lots of people save by putting their money into banks who then invest in govt bonds (the reasons for this are slightly complex, but loan demand in the US is relatively strong in the US, and non-existent in Europe so banks own a ton of govt bonds there), insurance sector is far larger (and Solvency II means govt bonds...lots of them), and there are more DB than DC schemes...so pension funds are far smaller proportionally (and the demand for non-bond assets is, typically, smaller). Pension funds are always going to own a lot of USTs but you just don't see the same pressure on US yields. Again though, don't take my word for it...look at the price. The Italian 10yr has traded under the US for the past five years or so...that clearly makes no sense.