Graph and download economic data for Gross Federal Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product (GFDGDPA188S) from 1939 to 2023 about gross, debt, federal, GDP, and USA.

The United States recorded a Government Debt to GDP of 124.30 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2024. This dataset provides - United States Government Debt To GDP - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Key information about United States Government Debt: % of GDP

• United States Government debt accounted for 124.0 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Dec 2024, compared with the ratio of 123.1 % in the previous quarter.
• US government debt to GDP ratio data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 1969 to Dec 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 130.4 % in Mar 2021 and a record low of 31.8 % in Sep 1974.

CEIC calculates quarterly Government Debt as % of Nominal GDP from monthly Government Debt and rolling sum of quarterly Nominal GDP. The Bureau of the Fiscal Service provides Government Debt in USD. The Bureau of Economic Analysis provides Nominal GDP in USD. Government Debt covers Central Government only.


Related information about United States Government Debt: % of GDP

• In the latest reports, US National Government Debt reached 36,220.2 USD bn in Jan 2025.
• The country's Nominal GDP reached 6,632.4 USD bn in Mar 2023.

The statistic shows the national debt of the United States from 2019 to 2022 in relation to the gross domestic product (GDP), with projections up until 2029. In 2022, the national debt of the United States was at around 120.03 percent of the gross domestic product. See the US GDP for further information. US finances There has been a dramatic increase in the public debt of the United States since 1990, although the month-to-month change has been quite stable over the last few months. Public debt is defined as the amount of money borrowed by a country to cover budget deficits. A ranking of individual state debt in the United States shows that California is leading by a clear margin, with more than double the amount of runner-up New York. Vermont, North Dakota and South Dakota are the states with the lowest amount of debt. Even before the recession of 2008, the national debt of the United States had been increasing steadily and excessively, and it is predicted to rise even further. Budget cuts and fewer job opportunities as a result of the crisis are taking their toll on the American economy, which is still recovering. Trade figures as well as unemployment are still below average. Subsequently, the national debt and the national debt of the United States per capita have more or less quadrupled since the 1990s. Interestingly, the United States is not even among the top ten of countries with the highest public debt in relation to gross domestic product in international comparison. Japan, Greece and Italy – among others – report far higher figures than the United States.

Graph and download economic data for Federal Debt Held by the Public as Percent of Gross Domestic Product from Q1 1970 to Q1 2025 about public, debt, federal, GDP, and USA.

United States - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product was 120.80844 % of GDP in January of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product reached a record high of 132.81490 in April of 2020 and a record low of 30.60333 in July of 1981. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

Historical chart and dataset showing U.S. debt to gdp ratio by year from 1989 to 2023.

Key information about United States Total Debt: % of GDP

• United States Total Debt accounted for 722.0 % of the country's GDP in 2024, compared with the ratio of 722.0 % in the previous quarter.
• US Total Debt: % of GDP data is updated quarterly, available from Dec 1951 to Sep 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 834.9 % in Mar 2021 and a record low of 309.4 % in Jun 1953.

CEIC calculates quarterly Total Debt as % of Nominal GDP from quarterly Total Debt and quarterly Nominal GDP. Total Debt is calculated as sum of Liabilities for NonFinancial Business, Federal Government, State and Local Government, Households & Nonprofit Organizations and Financial Business less Mutual Fund Shares. Federal Reserve Board provides Total Debt in local currency. Bureau of Economic Analysis provides Nominal GDP in local currency.

Graph and download economic data for Federal Outlays: Interest as Percent of Gross Domestic Product (FYOIGDA188S) from 1940 to 2024 about outlays, federal, percent, interest, GDP, and USA.

In September 2023, the national debt of the United States had risen up to 33.17 trillion U.S. dollars. The national debt per capita had risen to 85,552 U.S. dollars in 2021. As represented by the statistic above, the public debt of the United States has been continuously rising.

U.S. public debt Public debt, also known as national and governmental debt, is the debt owed by a nations’ central government. In the case of the U.S., national debt is owed by the federal government to Treasury security holders. Generally speaking, government debt increases with government spending, and can be decreased through taxes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. government increased spending significantly to finance virus infrastructure, aid, and various forms of economic relief.

International public debt

Venezuela leads the global ranking of the 20 countries with the highest public debt in 2021. In relation to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Venezuela's public debt amounted to around 306.95 percent of GDP. Eritrea was ranked fifth, with an estimated debt of 170 percent of the Gross Domestic Product.

The national debt of the United Kingdom is forecasted to grow from 87 percent in 2022 to 70 percent in 2027, in relation to the Gross Domestic Product. These figures include England, Wales, Scotland as well as Northern Ireland.

Greece had the highest national debt among EU countries as of the 4th quarter of 2020 in relation to the Gross Domestic Product. Germany ranked 13th in the EU, with its national debt amounting to 69 percent of GDP in the same time period.

Tuvalu was one of the 20 countries with the lowest national debt in 2021 in relation to the GDP, while Macao had an estimated level of national debt of zero percent, the lowest of any country. The data refer to the debts of the entire state, including the central government, the provinces, municipalities, local authorities and social insurance.

Graph and download economic data for Federal Debt Held by Federal Reserve Banks as Percent of Gross Domestic Product (HBFRGDQ188S) from Q1 1970 to Q1 2025 about debt, federal, banks, depository institutions, GDP, and USA.

United States Gross Federal Debt: Annual: Percentage of GDP data was reported at 122.300 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 121.900 % for 2022. United States Gross Federal Debt: Annual: Percentage of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 59.500 % from Sep 1940 (Median) to 2023, with 84 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 126.300 % in 2020 and a record low of 31.800 % in 1981. United States Gross Federal Debt: Annual: Percentage of GDP data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of Management and Budget. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.F072: Federal Debt: Annual.

Interactive chart of historical data comparing the level of gross domestic product (GDP) with Federal Debt.

United States - Federal Debt Held by the Public as Percent of Gross Domestic Product was 96.51841 % of GDP in January of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Federal Debt Held by the Public as Percent of Gross Domestic Product reached a record high of 103.07458 in April of 2020 and a record low of 21.85098 in July of 1974. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Federal Debt Held by the Public as Percent of Gross Domestic Product - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Federal Surplus or Deficit [-] as Percent of Gross Domestic Product (FYFSDFYGDP) from 1930 to 2023 about budget, federal, percent, GDP, and USA.

In the fiscal year of 2021, total state and local government debt in the state of New York amounted to 20.07 percent of the annual Gross Domestic Product of the state. In Kentucky, this figure amounted to 22.78 percent of the state's annual GDP, the highest of any state.

The national debt of the United Stated can be found here.

The graph shows national debt in China related to gross domestic product until 2024, with forecasts to 2030. In 2024, gross national debt ranged at around 88 percent of the national gross domestic product. The debt-to-GDP ratio In economics, the ratio between a country's government debt and its gross domestic product (GDP) is generally defined as the debt-to-GDP ratio. It is a useful indicator for investors to measure a country's ability to fulfill future payments on its debts. A low debt-to-GDP ratio also suggests that an economy produces and sells a sufficient amount of goods and services to pay back those debts. Among the important industrial and emerging countries, Japan displayed one of the highest debt-to-GDP ratios. In 2024, the estimated national debt of Japan amounted to about 250 percent of its GDP, up from around 180 percent in 2004. One reason behind Japan's high debt load lies in its low annual GDP growth rate. Development in China China's national debt related to GDP grew slowly but steadily from around 23 percent in 2000 to 34 percent in 2012, only disrupted by the global financial crisis in 2008. In recent years, China increased credit financing to spur economic growth, resulting in higher levels of debt. China's real estate crisis and a difficult global economic environment require further stimulating measures by the government and will predictably lead to even higher debt growth in the years ahead.

Federal Debt Held by Foreign & International Investors as Percent of Gross Domestic Product (HBFIGDQ188S) (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/HBFIGDQ188S) was first constructed by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis in October 2012. It is calculated using Federal Debt Held by Foreign & International Investors (FDHBFIN) (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/FDHBFIN) and Gross Domestic Product, 1 Decimal (GDP) (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GDP): (FDHBFIN/GDP)*100

United States - Federal Debt Held by Foreign and International Investors as Percent of Gross Domestic Product was 30.18851 % of GDP in January of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Federal Debt Held by Foreign and International Investors as Percent of Gross Domestic Product reached a record high of 35.37468 in April of 2020 and a record low of 1.17960 in January of 1970. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Federal Debt Held by Foreign and International Investors as Percent of Gross Domestic Product - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

Key information about Japan Government Debt: % of GDP

• Japan Government debt accounted for 216.2 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Dec 2024, compared with the ratio of 217.2 % in the previous quarter.
• Japan government debt to GDP ratio data is updated quarterly, available from Dec 1994 to Dec 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 225.8 % in Mar 2021 and a record low of 55.9 % in Dec 1994.

CEIC calculates quarterly Government Debt as % of Nominal GDP from monthly Government Debt and rolling sum of quarterly Nominal GDP. The Bank of Japan provides Government Debt in local currency. The Economic and Social Research Institute provides Nominal GDP in local currency. Government Debt covers Central Government only.


Related information about Japan Government Debt: % of GDP

• In the latest reports, Japan National Government Debt reached 9,396.6 USD bn in Apr 2023.
• The country's Nominal GDP reached 1,080.1 USD bn in Mar 2023.