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.

Debt Balance Credit Cards in the United States increased to 1.21 Trillion USD in the second quarter of 2025 from 1.18 Trillion USD in the first quarter of 2025. 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

Federal Reserve Board of New York provides quarterly Household Debt in USD. Household Debt includes Mortgages, Home Equity Revolving, Auto Loans, Bankcards, Student Loans and Others.


Further information about United States Household Debt

• 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

The number of people in Turkey with credit card debt fluctuated during this time period. The figures peaked in 2014 at over *********** people. In 2023, about ******* thousand people were unable to pay their credit card debts.

Graph and download economic data for Delinquency Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks (DRCCLACBS) from Q1 1991 to Q2 2025 about credit cards, delinquencies, commercial, loans, banks, depository institutions, rate, and USA.

Consumer Credit in the United States increased to 16.01 USD Billion in July from 9.61 USD Billion in June of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United States Consumer Credit Change - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Consumers in the United States had over **** trillion dollars in debt as of the first quarter of 2025. The majority of that debt were home mortgages, amounting to approximately **** trillion U.S. dollars. Student and car loans were the second and third largest component of household debt. Why is consumer debt important? Debt influences the Consumer Sentiment Index, which is an important indicator assessing the state of the U.S. economy. The U.S. housing market is also seen a bellwether of the economic conditions in the country. The housing industry employs a large number of people, and mortgages are large investments that consumers will pay off over the course of years, sometimes decades. Because of this, financial analysts closely watch consumer debt and its effects on the demand for housing. Attitudes towards debt Consumer perception of debt differed, depending on the kind of debt in question. While most saw a home mortgage as a positive investment, they increasingly looked at student loan debt as a negative debt. With education costs increasing, people are incurring more student loan debt in the United States. Credit card debt also had negative connotations.

Graph and download economic data for Charge-Off Rate on Credit Card Loans, Banks Ranked 1st to 100th Largest in Size by Assets (CORCCT100S) from Q1 1985 to Q2 2025 about charge-offs, credit cards, assets, loans, banks, depository institutions, rate, and USA.

United States Household Debt: Credit Card data was reported at 815.000 USD bn in Mar 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 834.000 USD bn for Dec 2017. United States Household Debt: Credit Card data is updated quarterly, averaging 703.000 USD bn from Mar 1999 (Median) to Mar 2018, with 77 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 866.000 USD bn in Dec 2008 and a record low of 480.000 USD bn in Jun 1999. United States Household Debt: Credit Card data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.KA012: Household Debt.

Delinquency rates for credit cards picked up in 2025 in the United States, leading to the highest rates observed since 2008. This is according to a collection of one of the United States' federal banks across all commercial banks. The high delinquency rates were joined by the highest U.S. credit card charge-off rates since the Financial Crisis of 2008. Delinquency rates, or the share of credit card loans overdue a payment for more than ** days, can sometimes lead into charge-off, or a writing off the loan, after about six to 12 months. These figures on the share of credit card balances that are overdue developed significantly between 2021 and 2025: Delinquencies were at their lowest point in 2021 but increased to one of their highest points by 2025. This is reflected in the growing credit card debt in the United States, which reached an all-time high in 2023.

Credit card payments in Mexico declined by nearly ********** in 2020 but recovered significantly in 2021. This led to the per capita count to increase to **** in 2021. The trend of declining credit card payments is similar to what was seen elsewhere in Europe. In the United Kingdom, for example, UK consumers started to pay off credit card debt during lockdown. Cash is Mexico's most used payment method in POS since COVID-19, although the market share of credit cards did increase since 2020.

United States HH Debt: Balance: New Delinquent Loan: Credit Card data was reported at 6.840 % in Mar 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 6.950 % for Dec 2019. United States HH Debt: Balance: New Delinquent Loan: Credit Card data is updated quarterly, averaging 8.081 % from Mar 2003 (Median) to Mar 2020, with 69 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 13.780 % in Dec 2009 and a record low of 5.073 % in Jun 2016. United States HH Debt: Balance: New Delinquent Loan: Credit Card data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.KB027: Household Debt.

HH Debt: Credit Card: Limit data was reported at 3,931.000 USD bn in Mar 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 3,897.000 USD bn for Dec 2019. HH Debt: Credit Card: Limit data is updated quarterly, averaging 2,913.000 USD bn from Mar 1999 (Median) to Mar 2020, with 85 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,931.000 USD bn in Mar 2020 and a record low of 1,380.000 USD bn in Jun 1999. HH Debt: Credit Card: Limit data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.KB027: Household Debt.

Key information about China Household Debt

• China Household Debt reached 11,498.4 USD bn in Jan 2025, compared with the reported number of 11,347.6 USD bn in the previous month
• China Household Debt: USD mn data is updated monthly, available from Jan 2007 to Jan 2025
• The data reached an all-time high of 11,691.0 USD bn in Sep 2024 and a record low of 517.7 USD bn in Jan 2007

CEIC converts monthly Household Debt into USD. The People's Bank of China 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.


Further information about China Household Debt

• In the latest reports, China Household Debt accounted for 63.3 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Mar 2023
• Money Supply M2 in China increased 44,045.8 USD bn YoY in Sep 2024
• China Foreign Exchange Reserves was measured at 3,209.0 USD bn in Jan 2025
• The Foreign Exchange Reserves equaled 13.9 Months of Import in Dec 2024
• China Domestic Credit reached 49,338.1 USD bn in Jan 2025, representing an increased of 7.9 % YoY

Credit card charge-off rates reached their highest level in over 14 years by Q2 2024, as borrowers struggled to keep up with debts. This is according to figures gathered by the Federal Reserve from U.S. chartered commercial banks. Credit card became an increasingly more common way to pay after the coronavirus pandemic, as is shown in the distribution of different types of loans in the United States. U.S. consumers had built up their cash reserves, making them eligible to get a credit card. The high charge-off rates were joined by the highest U.S. credit card delinquency rates since the Financial Crisis of 2008.

Hungarian consumers performed roughly ** credit card payments per capita in 2020, a decline when compared to 2019. This according to estimates based off credit card figures from the country's central bank. No information is provided why this number went down in the country during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic. Arguably, this could coincide with a trend in the UK of paying off credit card debt during lockdown.

United States HH Debt: No. of Accounts: Credit Card data was reported at 511.410 NA mn in Mar 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 507.940 NA mn for Dec 2019. United States HH Debt: No. of Accounts: Credit Card data is updated quarterly, averaging 447.070 NA mn from Mar 1999 (Median) to Mar 2020, with 85 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 511.410 NA mn in Mar 2020 and a record low of 364.670 NA mn in Jun 1999. United States HH Debt: No. of Accounts: Credit Card data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.KB027: Household Debt.

Statistics Netherlands collects data on consumer credit granted to individuals and the resulting debt. The following monthly amounts are given for the various types of credit institutions and types of credit: - amount of credit granted; - amount of interest; - amount of repayments; - amount of outstanding balance; - amount of limits granted. Also stated is the number of: - outstanding contracts; - limits granted; - new loans supplied; - new limits granted.

Data available from January 1998 to December 2013.

Status of the figures: The figures in this table are provisional when published. As this table has been discontinued, they will not become definite. In July data of the previous year are made definite based on the results of a yearly survey. The data for January-May of the current year are also adjusted, but remains provisional. Other adjustments may be made when new or additional information from respondents becomes available.

Changes as of 24 February 2014: Data for December 2013 have been added and the table has been discontinued.

As a result of a number of ambiguities, on 23 February 2012 the figures on Credit card credit were removed as a matter of precaution. The figures will be replaced as soon as possible.

When will new figures be published? As a result of budget restrictions affecting Statistics Netherlands, from 2014 onwards a number of statistics will be either discontinued, published less frequently or published in less detail. Following consultation of our main users, one of the statistics to be discontinued is the series on Consumer Credit. This table is therefore the last in the series. For more information about reduction in the statistical work programme, see Statistics Netherlands Strategic multi-annual programme 2014-2018.

Argentinian consumers performed roughly ** credit card payments per capita in 2022, a slight increase from 2022. This according to estimates based off credit card figures from the country's central bank. No information is provided why this number went down in the South American country during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic. Arguably, this could coincide with a trend in the UK of paying off credit card debt during lockdown.

The Hong Kong credit card market, valued at $113.41 million in 2025, is projected to experience robust growth, exhibiting a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.68% from 2025 to 2033. This expansion is fueled by several key drivers. Increased disposable incomes among Hong Kong residents, coupled with a burgeoning e-commerce sector and a preference for cashless transactions, are significantly boosting credit card usage. Furthermore, innovative financial products, including rewards programs and customized credit card offerings tailored to specific demographics, are driving market penetration. The competitive landscape is dominated by major international and local players such as HSBC, Bank of China, Standard Chartered Bank, and Citibank, along with regional banks like Hang Seng Bank and DBS Bank. These institutions are investing heavily in digital infrastructure and technological advancements to enhance customer experience and offer more convenient and secure payment options. While the market faces potential restraints such as increasing regulatory scrutiny and concerns regarding consumer debt levels, the overall growth trajectory remains positive, driven by the underlying economic strength of Hong Kong and the evolving consumer preferences. The forecast period (2025-2033) anticipates continued growth, driven by the expansion of the digital economy and the increasing adoption of fintech solutions. The market segmentation, while not explicitly detailed, is likely to include categories based on card type (e.g., premium, standard, co-branded), spending patterns, and customer demographics. Ongoing competition among established players and the potential entry of new fintech companies will continue to shape the market landscape. Analyzing specific regional performance within Hong Kong itself (e.g., comparing usage in urban vs. rural areas) would offer further granular insights. The long-term outlook remains optimistic, suggesting a substantial increase in market value by 2033, though precise figures would require a more detailed breakdown of the current market segmentation and a more comprehensive analysis of the projected growth factors. Key drivers for this market are: Usage of Credit Card Give the Bonus and Reward Points. Potential restraints include: Usage of Credit Card Give the Bonus and Reward Points. Notable trends are: Increasing Number of Credit Card Transaction in Hong Kong.