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 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.

Graph and download economic data for Consumer Loans: Credit Cards and Other Revolving Plans, All Commercial Banks (CCLACBW027SBOG) from 2000-06-28 to 2025-07-09 about revolving, credit cards, loans, consumer, banks, depository institutions, and USA.

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.

Debt Balance Credit Cards in the United States decreased to 1.18 Trillion USD in the first quarter of 2025 from 1.21 Trillion USD in the fourth quarter of 2024. This dataset includes a chart with historical data for the United States Debt Balance Credit Cards.

Key information about United States Household Debt

• United States Household Debt reached 18,036.0 USD bn in Dec 2024, compared with the reported number of 17,943.0 USD bn in the previous quarter
• US Household Debt: USD mn data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 1999 to Dec 2024
• The data reached an all-time high of 18,036.0 USD bn in Dec 2024 and a record low of 4,540.0 USD bn in Mar 1999

• In the latest reports, United States Household Debt accounted for 61.7 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Dec 2024
• Money Supply M2 in United States increased 21,533.8 USD bn YoY in Dec 2024
• United States Foreign Exchange Reserves was measured at 34.9 USD bn in Dec 2024
• The Foreign Exchange Reserves equaled 0.1 Months of Import in Dec 2024
• United States Domestic Credit reached 30,648.3 USD bn in Mar 2024, representing an drop of 0.3 % YoY

Graph and download economic data for Commercial Bank Interest Rate on Credit Card Plans, All Accounts (TERMCBCCALLNS) from Nov 1994 to May 2025 about consumer credit, credit cards, loans, consumer, interest rate, banks, interest, depository institutions, rate, and USA.

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.

Graph and download economic data for Large Bank Consumer Credit Card Balances: 30 or More Days Past Due Rates: Accounts Based (RCCCBACTDPD30P) from Q3 2012 to Q1 2025 about 30 days +, accounts, FR Y-14M, consumer credit, credit cards, large, balance, loans, consumer, banks, depository institutions, rate, and USA.

This statistic presents the distribution of credit card debt in the United States in 2019, by generation. In March 2019, ** percent of Millennials had not credit card debt at all, *** percentage point lower than the national rate.

Serbia Lending Rate: Weighted Avg: OA: NF: RC: Credit Card Debt data was reported at 9.090 % pa in Jun 2018. This stayed constant from the previous number of 9.090 % pa for May 2018. Serbia Lending Rate: Weighted Avg: OA: NF: RC: Credit Card Debt data is updated monthly, averaging 14.090 % pa from Sep 2010 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 94 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 23.750 % pa in Oct 2010 and a record low of 8.560 % pa in Mar 2018. Serbia Lending Rate: Weighted Avg: OA: NF: RC: Credit Card Debt data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bank of Serbia. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Serbia – Table RS.M005: Lending Rate: Weighted Average: Outstanding Amounts.

The tables and interactive maps below allow users to explore the ratio of debt to income by state, metropolitan statistical area, and county for each year since 1999. Household debt is calculated from Federal Reserve Bank of New York (FRBNY) Consumer Credit Panel/Equifax Data, and household income is reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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.

Serbia Lending Rate: Weighted Avg: OA: HN: RC: Credit Card Debt data was reported at 21.420 % pa in Jun 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 21.080 % pa for May 2018. Serbia Lending Rate: Weighted Avg: OA: HN: RC: Credit Card Debt data is updated monthly, averaging 22.810 % pa from Sep 2010 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 94 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 26.410 % pa in Nov 2010 and a record low of 20.100 % pa in Apr 2018. Serbia Lending Rate: Weighted Avg: OA: HN: RC: Credit Card Debt data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bank of Serbia. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Serbia – Table RS.M005: Lending Rate: Weighted Average: Outstanding Amounts.

Czech Republic Lending Rate: NB: Households & NPISHs: CR: ow Extended Credit Card Debt data was reported at 24.222 % pa in Mar 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 24.250 % pa for Feb 2025. Czech Republic Lending Rate: NB: Households & NPISHs: CR: ow Extended Credit Card Debt data is updated monthly, averaging 24.036 % pa from Jan 2010 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 183 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 25.905 % pa in Aug 2023 and a record low of 22.701 % pa in Apr 2010. Czech Republic Lending Rate: NB: Households & NPISHs: CR: ow Extended Credit Card Debt data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Czech National Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Czech Republic – Table CZ.M004: Lending Rate.

Total credit card debt in the UK grew by **** billion British pounds between October and November 2023, now reaching a similar level of debt as seen in early 2017. The annual growth rate of credit card debt stayed about the same in March 2025, reaching *** percent when compared to March 2024. The growth rate in 2023 has been relatively consistently since May, which may potentially be attributed to growing interest rates and the cost of living crisis.

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 Charge-Off Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks (CORCCACBN) from Q1 1985 to Q1 2025 about charge-offs, credit cards, commercial, loans, banks, depository institutions, rate, and USA.

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.

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.