<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 06/30/97
000 C000000 0000814571
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0.a
000 J000000 U
001 A000000 PRINCIPAL BOND FUND, INC.
001 B000000 811-05173
001 C000000 5152475476
002 A000000 THE PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP
002 B000000 DES MOINES
002 C000000 IA
002 D010000 50392
002 D020000 0200
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
022 A000001 ASSOCIATES CORPORATION OF NORTH AMERICA
022 B000001 74-1494554
022 C000001 169054
022 D000001 0
022 A000002 GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORP.
022 B000002 13-1500700
022 C000002 11866
022 D000002 0
022 A000003 MORGAN STANLEY & CO.
022 B000003 13-2655998
022 C000003 2114
022 D000003 0
022 A000004 GRUNTAL & CO.
022 B000004 13-3179859
022 C000004 1724
022 D000004 0
022 A000005 NATIONS BANC CAPITAL MARKETS, INC.
022 B000005 56-1684171
022 C000005 1510
022 D000005 0
022 A000006 LEHMAN BROTHERS
022 B000006 13-2501865
022 C000006 1490
022 D000006 0
022 A000007 SALOMON BROTHERS
022 B000007 13-3082694
022 C000007 0
022 D000007 1404
<PAGE> PAGE 2
022 A000008 MERRILL LYNCH
022 B000008 13-5674085
022 C000008 1002
022 D000008 0
022 A000009 DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRETTE (DLJ)
022 B000009 13-2741729
022 C000009 996
022 D000009 0
022 A000010 PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES, INC.
022 B000010 22-2347336
022 C000010 993
022 D000010 0
023 C000000 192151
023 D000000 2206
027 000000 Y
028 A010000 1989
028 A020000 0
028 A030000 0
028 A040000 228
028 B010000 901
028 B020000 0
028 B030000 0
028 B040000 489
028 C010000 944
028 C020000 0
028 C030000 0
028 C040000 382
028 D010000 1994
028 D020000 0
028 D030000 0
028 D040000 650
028 E010000 1149
028 E020000 0
028 E030000 0
028 E040000 370
028 F010000 1805
028 F020000 0
028 F030000 0
028 F040000 349
028 G010000 8782
028 G020000 0
028 G030000 0
028 G040000 2468
028 H000000 0
055 A000000 N
055 B000000 N
062 A000000 Y
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 0.0
062 E000000 0.0
<PAGE> PAGE 3
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 3.1
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 0.0
062 N000000 0.0
062 O000000 0.0
062 P000000 94.9
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 2.0
063 A000000 0
063 B000000 10.5
064 A000000 N
066 A000000 N
067 000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069 000000 N
071 A000000 10388
071 B000000 2183
071 C000000 64268
071 D000000 3
072 A000000 6
072 B000000 2502
072 C000000 0
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 165
072 G000000 0
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 0
072 J000000 2
072 K000000 0
072 L000000 0
072 M000000 4
072 N000000 0
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 0
072 S000000 0
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 2
072 X000000 173
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 2329
<PAGE> PAGE 4
072AA000000 59
072BB000000 0
072CC010000 0
072CC020000 277
072DD010000 0
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 0
073 A010000 0.0000
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.0000
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 2
074 B000000 0
074 C000000 2209
074 D000000 68162
074 E000000 0
074 F000000 0
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 0
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 1496
074 M000000 0
074 N000000 71869
074 O000000 0
074 P000000 0
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 57
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 71812
074 U010000 6152
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 11.67
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 7
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 67028
076 000000 0.00
077 A000000 N
SIGNATURE A. S. FILEAN
TITLE V. PRES. & SECRETARY
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1997
<PERIOD-END> JUN-30-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 69,466,629
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 70,370,487
<RECEIVABLES> 1,496,533
<ASSETS-OTHER> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 2,001
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 71,869,021
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 0
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 57,256
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 57,256
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 68,754,628
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 6,151,944
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 5,596,601
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 2,365,568
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> (212,289)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 903,858
<NET-ASSETS> 71,811,765
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 0
<INTEREST-INCOME> 2,501,727
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> (172,630)
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 2,329,097
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 59,264
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> (277,295)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 2,111,066
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 772,077
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (216,734)
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 0
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 8,425,204
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 36,471
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> (271,553)
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 164,684
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 172,630
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 66,839,375
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 11.33
<PER-SHARE-NII> .38
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> (.04)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> 0
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 11.67
<EXPENSE-RATIO> .52
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
