The generation X was the group of people with the highest average credit card balance in the United States in the 3rd quarter 2024. That year, the average credit card debt of the generation Z amounted to approximately ***** U.S. dollars. People in the silent generation had a credit card balance of roughly ***** U.S. dollars.

Credit card debt in the United States has been growing at a fast pace between 2021 and 2025. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the overall amount of credit card debt reached its highest value throughout the timeline considered here. COVID-19 had a big impact on the indebtedness of Americans, as credit card debt decreased from *** billion U.S. dollars in the last quarter of 2019 to *** billion U.S. dollars in the first quarter of 2021. What portion of Americans use credit cards? A substantial portion of Americans had at least one credit card in 2025. That year, the penetration rate of credit cards in the United States was ** percent. This number increased by nearly seven percentage points since 2014. The primary factors behind the high utilization of credit cards in the United States are a prevalent culture of convenience, a wide range of reward schemes, and consumer preferences for postponed payments. Which companies dominate the credit card issuing market? In 2024, the leading credit card issuers in the U.S. by volume were JPMorgan Chase & Co. and American Express. Both firms recorded transactions worth over one trillion U.S. dollars that year. Citi and Capital One were the next banks in that ranking, with the transactions made with their credit cards amounting to over half a trillion U.S. dollars that year. Those industry giants, along with other prominent brand names in the industry such as Bank of America, Synchrony Financial, Wells Fargo, and others, dominate the credit card market. Due to their extensive customer base, appealing rewards, and competitive offerings, they have gained a significant market share, making them the preferred choice for consumers.

The average amount of non-mortgage debt held by consumers in the United States has been falling steadily during the past years, amounting to ****** U.S. dollars in 2023. While respondents had ****** U.S. dollars of debt in 2018, that volume decreased to ****** U.S. dollars in 2019, which constituted the largest year-over-year decrease.What age groups are more indebted in the U.S.?The age group with the highest level of consumer debt in the U.S. was belonging to the Generation X with approximately ******* U.S. dollars of debt in 2022. The next generations with high consumer debt levels were baby boomers and millennials, whose debt levels were similar. In comparison, credit card debt is more equally distributed across all ages. There is an exception among people under 35 years old, who are significantly less burdened with credit card debt. However, most consumers expect to get rid of their debt in the short term. College expenses as a source of debtEducational expenses were not among the leading sources of debt among consumers in the U.S. in 2022. Instead, they made up about ** percent of the total. However, around ** percent of undergraduates from lower-income families had student loans, while over a fifth of undergraduates from higher-income families had student loans. Independently of how they cover these expenses, the confidence of students and parents about being able to pay these college costs was high in most cases.

Graph and download economic data for Household Debt Service Payments as a Percent of Disposable Personal Income (TDSP) from Q1 1980 to Q1 2025 about disposable, payments, debt, personal income, percent, personal, households, services, income, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Consumer Loans: Credit Cards and Other Revolving Plans, All Commercial Banks (CCLACBW027SBOG) from 2000-06-28 to 2025-07-02 about revolving, credit cards, loans, consumer, banks, depository institutions, and USA.

The total average debt of Baby Boomers in the United States amounted to nearly 94,880 U.S. dollars in 2023. Debt balances, however, varied greatly according to the generation. The Generation X held the highest debt on average (157,560 U.S. dollars), while generation Z held the lowest average debt (nearly 29,820 U.S. dollars).

Graph and download economic data for Delinquency Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks (DRCCLACBS) from Q1 1991 to Q1 2025 about credit cards, delinquencies, commercial, loans, banks, depository institutions, rate, and USA.

The survey asked respondents to compare their expenditure and consumer behaviour (concerning e.g. food, housing, leisure activities, alcohol, travel) to those of the average consumer. The respondents were asked which things and household items they considered necessary and what they would do if they had more money. The survey carried a set of attitudinal statements about consumption and lifestyle (e.g. "I like to drink wine when eating" or "Quality is more important to me than price"). Some questions covered on what grounds respondents made decisions on economical, family or work matters. The extent to which the deep recession of the early 1990s had affected the household was examined. One theme pertained to community identification: whether the respondents felt they were part of their family, workplace, community, Finnish society, and how much their way of spending or borrowing money, etc. was similar to that of other people. The respondents were asked to define different generations and to assess whether there was any conflict between them. They rated the importance of various things (e.g. self-respect, world peace, prosperity, independence) to themselves and the safety of their own life, community, society and the world. Views were probed on how much insecurity e.g. pollution, cuts to certain public services and increasing the national debt would cause. Some questions covered personal feelings of insecurity concerning e.g. livelihood, finances, relationships. The respondents evaluated risks in the present-day society and rated the risk involved in different actions (e.g. contracting a loan, travelling, speeding, flying, using drugs, casual sex). The survey contained questions about the income, expenditure, savings and debts of the respondents and the household. Credit card use, defaults on payments/debts and the resulting bad credit were charted. The respondents were asked what their methods of coping were when short of money, that is, whether they would borrow, reduce expenditure, gamble, etc. Background variables included respondents' sex, tenure, marital status, household size, number of children, basic and vocational education, economic activity, occupation of the respondent, the spouse and parents, experiences of unemployment, financial circumstances, social class, voting in elections and party preference.

Key information about Spain Household Debt

• Spain Household Debt reached 808.2 USD bn in Jun 2024, compared with the reported number of 799.2 USD bn in the previous quarter
• Spain Household Debt: USD mn data is updated quarterly, available from Dec 1989 to Jun 2024
• The data reached an all-time high of 1,512.6 USD bn in Jun 2008 and a record low of 175.7 USD bn in Dec 1989

CEIC converts quarterly Household Debt into USD. Banco de España provides Household Debt in EUR based on ESA 2010. The Federal Reserve Board period end market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. Household Debt prior to Q4 1994 is based on ESA 1995.


Further information about Spain Household Debt

• In the latest reports, Spain Household Debt accounted for 48.9 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Jun 2024
• Money Supply M2 in Spain increased 1,703.1 USD bn YoY in Aug 2024
• Spain Foreign Exchange Reserves was measured at 64.8 USD bn in Sep 2024
• The Foreign Exchange Reserves equaled 1.6 Months of Import in Jul 2024
• Spain Domestic Credit reached 2,284.6 USD bn in Jul 2024, representing an drop of 2.1 % YoY

In 2023, the generation X was the age group with the highest amount of auto loan debt in the United States. That group had on average a car loan debt of roughly 27,100 U.S. dollars. Meanwhile, the silent generation had the lowest amount of auto loan debt, amounting to approximately 16,050 U.S. dollars.

Key information about Canada Household Debt

• Canada Household Debt reached 2,110.9 USD bn in Dec 2024, compared with the reported number of 2,161.8 USD bn in the previous month
• Canada Household Debt: USD mn data is updated monthly, available from Jan 1969 to Dec 2024
• The data reached an all-time high of 2,225.1 USD bn in Sep 2024 and a record low of 22.2 USD bn in Jan 1969

CEIC converts monthly Household Debt into USD. Statistics Canada provides Household Debt in local currency. The Federal Reserve Board period end market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. Loans are used due to the lack of Flow of Funds statistics. Household Debt prior to January 1990 is sourced from the Bank of Canada.


Further information about Canada Household Debt

• In the latest reports, Canada Household Debt accounted for 99.2 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Sep 2024
• Money Supply M2 in Canada increased 1,873.3 USD bn YoY in Nov 2024
• Canada Foreign Exchange Reserves was measured at 90.2 USD bn in Jan 2025
• The Foreign Exchange Reserves equaled 2.0 Months of Import in Dec 2024
• Canada Domestic Credit reached 4,647.3 USD bn in Nov 2024, representing an increased of 3.9 % YoY

Statistics on student debt, including the average debt at graduation, the percentage of graduates who owed large debt at graduation and the percentage of graduates with debt who had paid it off at the time of the interview, are presented by the province of study and the level of study. Estimates are available at five-year intervals.

As of the last quarter of 2022, Alaska and Hawaii were the states in the U.S. with the highest credit card debt. While the average credit card debt in Alaska amounted to 4,430 U.S. dollars, people from Mississippi only had on average 2,450 U.S. dollars of credit card debt.

Key information about Italy Household Debt

• Italy Household Debt reached 1,145.1 USD bn in Sep 2024, compared with the reported number of 1,099.6 USD bn in the previous quarter
• Italy Household Debt: USD mn data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 1995 to Sep 2024
• The data reached an all-time high of 1,326.6 USD bn in Jun 2011 and a record low of 277.4 USD bn in Mar 1995

CEIC converts quarterly Household Debt into USD. The Bank of Italy provides Household Debt in EUR. The Federal Reserve Board period end market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. Household Debt includes NPISH.


Further information about Italy Household Debt

• In the latest reports, Italy Household Debt accounted for 48.0 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Sep 2024
• Money Supply M2 in Italy increased 2,268.4 USD bn YoY in Nov 2024
• Italy Foreign Exchange Reserves was measured at 51.6 USD bn in Dec 2024
• The Foreign Exchange Reserves equaled 0.9 Months of Import in Oct 2024
• Italy Domestic Credit reached 3,386.4 USD bn in Oct 2024, representing an increased of 2.9 % YoY

The source of information is the "Credit Balance Monthly Report Data" submitted by each member institution of the Credit Information Center. It aggregates the amount of all individual credit loans and calculates the average interest rate by age group and gender. If the loan is unsecured, it is defined as a personal credit loan. It does not include overdue, collection, and bad debt credit accounts.

Debt financing (mortgage, line of credit, term loan, credit card) terms and conditions, average interest rates and average length of term for small and medium enterprises in 2020 by region, CMA level, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), demographics, age of business, employment size, rate of growth, etc.

The data source is the "Credit Balance Monthly Report Data" submitted by each member institution of the Joint Credit Information Center. The individual's total monthly new credit loan amount and average interest rate are calculated under the segmentation of age groups and gender. If the loan is unsecured, it is defined as a personal credit loan. It does not include overdue, collection, and bad debt credit accounts.

Key information about Australia Household Debt: % of GDP

• Australia household debt accounted for 116.6 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Mar 2023, compared with the ratio of 118.0 % in the previous quarter.
• Australia household debt to GDP ratio is updated quarterly, available from Jun 1988 to Mar 2023.
• The data reached an all-time high of 129.4 % in Sep 2016 and a record low of 44.2 % in Sep 1988.

CEIC calculates quarterly Household Debt as % of Nominal GDP from quarterly Household Debt and quarterly Nominal GDP. The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides Household Debt in local currency and Nominal GDP in local currency.


Related information about Australia Household Debt: % of GDP

• In the latest reports, Australia Household Debt reached 1,957.6 USD bn in Mar 2023.
• Money Supply M2 in Australia increased 4.1 % YoY in Jun 2023.
• Australia Foreign Exchange Reserves was measured at 37.1 USD bn in Jun 2023.
• The Foreign Exchange Reserves equaled 1.5 Months of Import in May 2023.
• Australia Domestic Credit reached 3,627.0 USD bn in May 2023, representing an increased of 1.9 % YoY.
• The country's Non Performing Loans Ratio stood at 0.8 % in Mar 2023, compared with the ratio of 0.8 % in the previous quarter.

The average consumer debt balance in the United States has peaked in 2023 at roughly 104,200 U.S. dollars. However, average consumer debt had decreased between 2010 and 2013, when it reached approximately 85,500 U.S. dollars. Here, consumer debt refers to student and car loans, credit cards, personal loans, mortgages, and other types of debt.

Debt financing (mortgage, line of credit, term loan, credit card) terms and conditions, average interest rates and average length of term for small and medium enterprises in 2020 by region, CMA level, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), demographics, age of business, employment size, rate of growth, etc.