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 UK's average credit card debt per household grew by *** British pounds between December 2021 and December 2022, the first increase since 2020. Standing at ***** British pounds at December 2022, the figure contrasts with the decline in 2020 – when the debt declined from ***** British pounds to ***** British pounds. That particular drop was likely a result of Covid-19's economic impact, and consumers trying to get rid of their credit card debt. The increase in 2022 may be caused by growing interest rates and the cost of living crisis beginning to take shape.

In the third quarter of 2022, households in the United States had, on average, ****** U.S. dollars of mortgage debt. That was the biggest component of their personal debt burden. The value per capita of car and student loans was much lower, but still contributed more to the level of household indebtedness than credit cards or HE revolving.

Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway were among the European countries with most indebted households in 2023 and 2024. The debt of Dutch households amounted to *** percent their disposable income in the 2nd quarter of 2024. Meanwhile, Norwegian households' debt represented *** percent of their income in the 3rd quarter of 2023. However, households in most countries were less indebted, with that ratio amounting to ** percent in the Euro area. Less indebtedness in Western and Northern Europe There were several European countries where household's debts outweighed their disposable income. Most of those countries were North or West European. However, the indebtedness ratio in Denmark has been decreasing during the past decade. As the debt of Danish households represented nearly *** percent in the last quarter of 2014, which has fallen very significantly by 2024. Other countries with indebted households have been following similar trends. The households' debt-to-income ratio in the Netherlands has also fallen from over *** percent in 2013 to *** percent in 2024. Debt per adult in Europe In Europe, the value of debt per adult varies considerably from an average of around 10,000 U.S. dollars in Europe to a much higher level in certain countries such as Switzerland. Debts can be formed in a number of ways. The most common forms of debt include credit cards, medical debt, student loans, overdrafts, mortgages, automobile financing and personal loans.

Households Debt in Canada decreased to 99.58 percent of GDP in the first quarter of 2025 from 100.39 percent of GDP in the fourth quarter of 2024. This dataset provides - Canada Households Debt To Gdp- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

United States Household Debt Service Ratio: sa: Equifax/FRB: Consumer data was reported at 5.512 % in Dec 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 5.479 % for Sep 2024. United States Household Debt Service Ratio: sa: Equifax/FRB: Consumer data is updated quarterly, averaging 5.698 % from Mar 2005 (Median) to Dec 2024, with 80 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.307 % in Dec 2005 and a record low of 4.306 % in Mar 2021. United States Household Debt Service Ratio: sa: Equifax/FRB: Consumer data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Reserve Board. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.KB: Household Debt Service Ratio: Seasonally Adjusted.

Context

The Global Debt Database (GDD) is the outcome of an extensive investigative process initiated with the October 2016 Fiscal Monitor. This dataset encapsulates the total gross debt of the nonfinancial sector (both private and public) for an unbalanced panel of 190 advanced economies, emerging market economies, and low-income countries, with records dating back to 1950. The Global Debt Dataset aggregates information from diverse sources to offer a comprehensive view of both public and private debt metrics. It includes data on government debt, corporate debt, household debt, and external debt, enabling users to delve into trends, patterns, and interrelationships among different debt categories.

Content

The dataset furnishes crucial information for comprehending global debt trends. Key columns encompass the country name, inflation indicator type, and annual average debt percentages from 1950 to 2022. This dataset empowers researchers and policymakers for thorough analyses, allowing exploration of relationships between country-specific indicators and debt percentages. Through meticulous examination, users can unveil patterns in the financial landscapes of diverse economies over the past seven decades. This historical record stands as a valuable tool, providing insights into the complexities of global economic dynamics.

Dataset Structure:

This dataset (central_government_debt.csv) spanning from 1950 to 2022 comprises the following columns:

Column Name	Description
country_name	Name of the Country
indicator_name	Type of Inflation Indicator
1950	Annual Average Debt in 1950 (in %)
1951	Annual Average Debt in 1951 (in %)
1952	Annual Average Debt in 1952 (in %)
' ' '	' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '
2021	Annual Average Debt in 2021 (in %)
2022	Annual Average Debt in 2022 (in %)

Additionally, there are four other datasets following the same data structure: general_government_debt.csv, household_debt.csv, non-financial_corporate_debt.csv, and private_debt.

Acknowledgment

The primary dataset was sourced from the International Monetary Fund. I extend sincere gratitude to the team for providing the core data used in this dataset.

Reference: Mbaye, S., Moreno-Badia, M., and K. Chae. 2018. “Global Debt Database: Methodology and Sources,” IMF Working Paper, International Monetary Fund, Washington, DC

© Image credit: Freepik

The Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) is normally a triennial cross-sectional survey of U.S. families. The survey data include information on families' balance sheets, pensions, income, and demographic characteristics.

Key information about Singapore Household Debt

• Singapore Household Debt reached 307.9 USD bn in Oct 2025, compared with the reported number of 308.2 USD bn in the previous month
• Singapore Household Debt: USD mn data is updated monthly, available from Mar 2004 to Oct 2025
• The data reached an all-time high of 43.4 USD mn in Dec 1988 and a record low of 17.8 USD mn in Dec 2000

CEIC converts monthly Household Debt into USD. The Monetary Authority of Singapore 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 covers Housing and Consumer Loans from Residents and Non-Residents. Household Debt prior to July 2021 covers Housing and Consumer Loans from Domestic Banking Units and Asian Currency Units.


Further information about Singapore Household Debt

• In the latest reports, Singapore Household Debt accounted for 53.0 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Sep 2025
• Money Supply M2 in Singapore increased 1,091.9 USD bn YoY in Oct 2025
• Singapore Foreign Exchange Reserves was measured at 379.4 USD bn in Oct 2025
• The Foreign Exchange Reserves equaled 7.9 Months of Import in Oct 2025
• Singapore Domestic Credit reached 942.6 USD bn in Oct 2025, representing an increased of 5.2 % YoY

Key information about Sweden Household Debt: % of GDP

• Sweden household debt accounted for 86.5 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Jun 2025, compared with the ratio of 86.4 % in the previous quarter.
• Sweden household debt to GDP ratio is updated quarterly, available from Mar 1996 to Jun 2025.
• The data reached an all-time high of 98.5 % in Mar 2021 and a record low of 43.5 % in Sep 1996.

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


Related information about Sweden Household Debt: % of GDP

• In the latest reports, Sweden Household Debt reached 589.1 USD bn in Jun 2025.
• Money Supply M2 in Sweden increased 4.1 % YoY in Oct 2025.
• Sweden Foreign Exchange Reserves was measured at 45.8 USD bn in Oct 2025.
• The Foreign Exchange Reserves equaled 2.4 Months of Import in Oct 2025.
• Sweden Domestic Credit reached 944.4 USD bn in Feb 2025, representing an drop of 2.7 % YoY.
• The country's Non Performing Loans Ratio stood at 0.5 % in Dec 2024, compared with the ratio of 0.5 % in the previous quarter.

The Public Use Database (PUDB) is released annually to meet FHFA’s requirement under 12 U.S.C. 4543 and 4546(d) to publicly disclose data about the Enterprises’ single-family and multifamily mortgage acquisitions. The datasets supply mortgage lenders, planners, researchers, policymakers, and housing advocates with information concerning the flow of mortgage credit in America’s neighborhoods. Beginning with data for mortgages acquired in 2018, FHFA has ordered that the PUDB be expanded to include additional data that is the same as the data definitions used by the regulations implementing the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, as required by 12 U.S.C. 4543(a)(2) and 4546(d)(1).The PUDB single-family datasets include loan-level records that include data elements on the income, race, and sex of each borrower as well as the census tract location of the property, loan-to-value (LTV) ratio, age of mortgage note, and affordability of the mortgage. New for 2018 are the inclusion of the borrower’s debt-to-income (DTI) ratio and detailed LTV ratio data at the census tract level. The PUDB multifamily property-level datasets include information on the unpaid principal balance and type of seller/servicer from which the Enterprise acquired the mortgage. New for 2018 is the inclusion of property size data at the census tract level. The multifamily unit-class files also include information on the number and affordability of the units in the property. Both the single-family and multifamily datasets include indicators of whether the purchases are from “underserved” census tracts, as defined in terms of median income and minority percentage of population.Prior to 2010 the single-family PUDB consisted of three files: Census Tract, National A, and National B files. With the 2010 PUDB a fourth file, National C, was added to provide information on high-cost mortgages acquired by the Enterprises. The single-family Census Tract file includes information on the location of the property based on the 2010 Census for acquisition years 2012 through 2021, and the 2020 Census beginning with the 2022 acquisition year. The National files contain other information but lack detailed geographic information in order to protect Enterprise proprietary data. The multifamily datasets also consist of a Census Tract file, and a National file without detailed geographic information.Several dashboards are available to analyze the data:Enterprise Multifamily Public Use Database DashboardThe Enterprise Multifamily Public Use Database (PUDB) Dashboard provides users an interactive way to generate and visualize Enterprise PUDB data of multifamily mortgage acquisitions by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It shows characteristics about multifamily loans, properties and units at the national level, and characteristics about multifamily loans and properties at the state level. It includes key statistics, time series charts, and state maps of multifamily housing characteristics such as median loan amount, number of properties, average number of units per property, and unit affordability. The underlying aggregate statistics presented in the dashboard come from three multifamily data files in the Enterprise PUDB, updated annually since 2008, including two property-level datasets and a data file on the size and affordability of individual units.Enterprise Multifamily Public Use DashboardPress Release - FHFA Releases Data Visualization Dashboard for Enterprises’ Multifamily Mortgage AcquisitionsMortgage Loan and Natural Disaster DashboardFHFA published an interactive Mortgage Loan and Natural Disaster Dashboard that combines FHFA’s PUDB reports on single-family and multifamily acquisitions for the regulated entities, FEMA’s National Risk Index (NRI), and FHFA’s Duty to Serve 2023 High-Needs rural areas. Desired geographies can be exported to .pdf and Excel from the Public Use Database and National Risk Index Dashboard.Mortgage Loan and Natural Disaster DashboardMortgage Loan and Natural Disaster Dashboard FAQs