Graph and download economic data for Federal Debt: Total Public Debt (GFDEBTN) from Q1 1966 to Q1 2025 about public, debt, federal, government, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Federal government current expenditures: Interest payments (NA000308Q) from Q1 1947 to Q2 2025 about payments, expenditures, federal, government, interest, GDP, and USA.

This table represents fiscal year-to-date activity for the Federal Debt Managed by the Bureau of the Fiscal Service separated by Held by the Public and Intragovernmental Debt Holdings totaled by Principal, Accrued Interest Payable, and Net Unamortized Premiums/Discounts. All figures are rounded to the nearest million.

In 2023, the U.S. government spent a total of 875 billion U.S. dollars on interest of public debt. 497 billion U.S. dollars was on interest for debt held by the public.

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

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.

This table represents monthly activity for the Federal Debt Managed by the Bureau of the Fiscal Service separated by Held by the Public and Intragovernmental Debt Holdings totaled by Principal, Accrued Interest Payable, and Net Unamortized Premiums/Discounts. All figures are rounded to the nearest million.

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

By 2034, the gross federal debt of the United States is projected to be about 54.39 trillion U.S. dollars. This would be an increase of around 21 trillion U.S. dollars from 2023, when the federal debt was around 33 trillion U.S. dollars.

The federal debt of the U.S.

The federal debt, also called the national debt or public debt, is the amount of debt held by the United States government. This debt may be to other countries, or to different departments within the government itself. The public debt of the United States has increased significantly over the past 30 years, as it was around 3.2 trillion U.S. dollars in 1990 and surpassed 30 trillion dollars for the first time in 2022. When broken down per capita, the national debt amounted to about 80,885 U.S. dollars of debt per person in the United States in 2021.

The problem of the federal debt

Over the past decade, the federal debt limit in the United States has increased significantly. The U.S. debt ceiling can only be changed by an act of Congress which is then signed by the president. The raising of the ceiling has become a recurring political issue in recent years, especially during times when the Presidency and chambers of Congress are controlled by different parties.

The debt ceiling is a tool that allows the Treasury to issue bonds without congressional approval, allowing for efficiency in the way that the government pays for programs and services. It is thought to be further valuable in that it keeps federal finances in check. However, when the two parties are unable to come to an agreement on raising the debt ceiling, the government comes to a shutdown because they can no longer fund themselves. The Republican Party in particular often positions itself against raising the federal debt ceiling, characterizing themselves as the party of fiscal conservativism. However, analyses have shown that both parties have contributed to the country's debt in almost equal measures.

Key information about United States Debt Service Ratio: Households

• United States Debt Service Ratio: Households was reported at 8.100 % in Sep 2024
• This stayed constant from the previous number of 8.100 % for Jun 2024
• US Debt Service Ratio: Households data is updated quarterly, averaging 9.000 % from Mar 1999 to Sep 2024, with 103 observations
• The data reached an all-time high of 11.600 % in Dec 2007 and a record low of 7.100 % in Mar 2021
• US Debt Service Ratio: Households data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bank for International Settlements
• The data is categorized under World Trend Plus’s Association: Banking Sector – Table RC.BIS.DSR: G2 Households (HH) and Non-Profit Institution Serving Households (NPISHs): Quarterly

The Schedules of Federal Debt dataset provides monthly and fiscal year-to-date changes in federal debt. It shows increases (borrowing) and decreases (repayments) in debt. The data notes whether the debt is debt held by the public or intragovernmental holdings. These two categories are further broken down into principal debt, accrued interest payable, and net unamortized premiums/discounts. All figures are rounded to the nearest million.

Monthly and fiscal year-to-date increases and decreases in federal debt. The data is broken out by debt holder type, principal, interest, and premiums/discounts.

As of October 2024, the United States government has a monthly interest rate of *** percent on its debt, continuing an upward trend in interest rates that began at the beginning of 2022. In April 2024, U.S. debt reached ***** trillion U.S. dollars.

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.

In the fiscal year 2023, the national debt service expenditure of the national government in Japan amounted to **** trillion Japanese yen. Expenditure on debt service increased from around **** trillion yen in the previous fiscal year.

Austria Federal Debt Servicing Costs: Interest Payments data was reported at 5,303.000 EUR mn in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 4,733.000 EUR mn for 2023. Austria Federal Debt Servicing Costs: Interest Payments data is updated yearly, averaging 5,303.000 EUR mn from Dec 1970 (Median) to 2024, with 55 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7,535.000 EUR mn in 2016 and a record low of 198.000 EUR mn in 1970. Austria Federal Debt Servicing Costs: Interest Payments data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Oesterreichische Nationalbank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Austria – Table AT.F015: Federal Debt.

Russia Federal Government Expenditure: Debt Service data was reported at 102.011 RUB bn in Dec 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 85.715 RUB bn for Nov 2022. Russia Federal Government Expenditure: Debt Service data is updated monthly, averaging 26.300 RUB bn from Oct 1999 (Median) to Dec 2022, with 279 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 165.814 RUB bn in Mar 2022 and a record low of 2.200 RUB bn in Oct 2005. Russia Federal Government Expenditure: Debt Service data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Russian Federation – Table RU.FB006: Federal Government Revenue and Expenditure: General.

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, personal income, debt, percent, households, personal, income, services, and USA.

In 2023, the gross federal debt in the United States amounted to around ****** U.S. dollars per capita. This is a moderate increase from the previous year, when the per capita national debt amounted to about ****** U.S. dollars. The total debt accrued by the U.S. annually can be accessed here. Federal debt of the United States The level of national debt held by the United States government has risen sharply in the years following the Great Recession. Federal debt is the amount of debt the federal government owes to creditors who hold assets in the form of debt securities. As with individuals and consumers, there is a common consensus among economists that holding debt is not necessarily problematic for government so long as the public debt is held at a sustainable level. Although there is no agreed upon ratio of debt to gross domestic product, the increasing debt held by the Federal Reserve has become a major part of the political discourse in the United States. Politics and the national debt In recent years, debate over the debt ceiling has been of concern to domestic politicians, the owners of federal debt, and global economy as a whole. The debt ceiling is a legislated maximum amount that national debt can reach intended to impose a degree of fiscal prudence on incumbent governments. However, as national debt has grown the debt ceiling has been reached, thus forcing legislative action by Congress. In both 2011 and 2013, new legislation was passed by Congress allowing the debt ceiling to be raised. The Budget Control Act of 2011 and the No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 successively allowed the government to avoid defaulting on national debt and therefore avert a potential economic crisis.

Total outstanding debt of the U.S. government reported daily. Includes a breakout of intragovernmental holdings (federal debt held by U.S. government) and debt held by the public (federal debt held by entities outside the U.S. government).

This feed provides information about household debt service and financial obligations ratios data from the Federal Reserve Board's FOR release available through the Data Download Program (DDP). The household Debt Service Ratio (DSR) is the ratio of total required household debt payments to total disposable income.The DSR is divided into two parts. The Mortgage DSR is total quarterly required mortgage payments divided by total quarterly disposable personal income. The Consumer DSR is total quarterly scheduled consumer debt payments divided by total quarterly disposable personal income. The Mortgage DSR and the Consumer DSR sum to the DSR.Quarterly values for the Debt Service Ratio are available from 1980 forward.