Adding to national debt is an inevitable fact of being President of the United States. The extent to which debt rises under any sitting president depends not only on the policy and spending choices they have made, but also the choices made by presidents and congresses that have come before them. Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush President Ronald Reagan increased the U.S. debt by around **** trillion U.S. dollars, or ****** percent. This is often attributed to "Reaganomics," in which Reagan implemented significant supply-side economic policies in which he reduced government regulation, cut taxes, and tightened the money supply. Spending increased under President George W. Bush in light of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. To finance the wars, President Bush chose to borrow the money, rather than use war bonds or increase taxes, unlike previous war-time presidents. Additionally, Bush introduced a number of tax cuts, and oversaw the beginning of the 2008 financial crisis. Barack Obama President Obama inherited both wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the financial crisis. The Obama administration also did not increase taxes to pay for the wars, and additionally passed expensive legislation to kickstart the economy following the economic crash, as well as the Affordable Care Act in 2010. The ACA expanded healthcare coverage to cover more than ** million more Americans through programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Though controversial at the time, more than half of Americans have a favorable view of the ACA in 2023. Additionally, he signed legislation making the W. Bush-era tax cuts permanent.

Summarizes the U.S. government's total outstanding debt at the end of each fiscal year from 1789 to the current year.

In September 2024, the national debt of the United States had risen up to 35.46 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.

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.

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.

In 2023, the U.S. government had a budget deficit of 1.69 trillion U.S. dollars. This is compared to 2000, when the government had a budget surplus of 0.24 trillion U.S. dollars.

U.S. Government budget

The government budget is a financial statement that demonstrates the government’s suggested revenues and spending for the financial year. Budget surpluses occur when income exceeds expenditures. Budget deficits occur when spending exceeds income. The budget balance of the U.S. government has fluctuated since 2016, and is expected to decrease slightly by 2026.

Military spending

Defense outlays in the United States amounted to 714 billion U.S. dollars in 2020. It is expected to continue to increase over the next several years. The United States currently has the largest defense budget in the world, and is the largest employer in the world. The military budget funds the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force. The amount of funding that goes towards the Department of Defense is heavily criticized by Democrats in the United States, because they believe that the funding should be more evenly distributed towards other social welfare programs such as public health insurance and education.

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

Graph and download economic data for Federal Surplus or Deficit - from 1901 to 2024 about budget, federal, and USA.

Direction of country (1); Barack Obama job performance (1); Obama handling economy (1); Obama handling foreign policy (1); Obama handling war in Afghanistan (1); Congressional job performance (1); rating public figures, groups, organizations (12); role of government (1); Obama re-elected for president (1); party control of congress (1); confidence in congress (1); Republican congress bring right change (1); partisanship (1); party vote in primary election (1); Republican 2012 presidential nominees (3); candidate positions affecting vote (1); Tim Pawlenty vs. Barack Obama (1); Mitt Romney vs. Barack Obama (1); candidates possessing skills for presidency (1); positions for presidential candidates (1); Romney's stance on healthcare (1); party with influence on special interest groups/lobbyists (1); party influenced by special interest groups/lobbyists (1); economic outlook (1); personal economic situation (1); effects of stimulus (1); Obama administration responsible for economic situation (1); George W. Bush administration responsible for economic situation (1); economic situation inherited by Obama (1); role of government/congress in handling economy/budget deficit (1); economic recession (1); heading toward another recession (1); government loans to auto companies (1); cutting federal spending (1); recent events affecting respondent (1); federal debt ceiling (2); Medicare (3); reducing troops in Afghanistan (1); death of Osama bin Laden (1); Obama handling situation in Libya (1); military operations in Libya (1); television news source (1).

Graph and download economic data for Federal Surplus or Deficit [-] as Percent of Gross Domestic Product (FYFSGDA188S) from 1929 to 2024 about budget, federal, GDP, and USA.

Ronald Reagan's performance as President, his health, and his age were a central focus of this survey. Respondents also were questioned regarding the nation's economy, their personal financial situations and expectations, their impressions of a number of public figures, the federal budget deficit, government spending policies, education, 'Star Wars,' cancer, American and Soviet spying, and major league baseball. Demographic characteristics of respondents also were recorded.

This poll, fielded March 26-29, 2009, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President Barack Obama and his handling of the presidency, foreign policy, and the economy. Respondents were asked whether the Obama administration or the Republicans in Congress could be trusted to do a better job coping with the economic problems the nation faces and whether things in the country were going in the right direction. Respondents were also asked their opinions of First Lady Michelle Obama as well their opinions on the roles of banks, the Bush administration, large businesses and consumer debt, and the state of the national economy. Non-economic questions focused on the role of the United States in Afghanistan, confidence in the Obama administration in the handling of Afghanistan and the Taliban, efforts made in building relationships between the United States and Muslim-majority nations, and the general world image of the United States. Personal financial and economic topics addressed how concerned respondents were that they could maintain their current standard of living and in what areas they are experiencing spending cutbacks. Additional topics addressed familiarity and understanding of the Islamic religion and Muslims, and whether respondents had shopped at a Walmart store in the past 12 months. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, political political philosophy, party affiliation, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), education level, religious preference, employment status, household income and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.

In the 2020 U.S. presidential race, Democratic candidates spent a total of roughly **** billion U.S. dollars, more than any other election. The total spending of presidential candidates is reflected in the number of major presidential candidates running. See here for more information on how many candidates have run in past U.S. elections.

Philippines recorded a Government Debt to GDP of 60.70 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2024. This dataset provides - Philippines Government Debt To GDP - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

This dataverse contains the data and supporting documents for the CCES 2014 Boston University. This project was supported by the National Science Foundation, Grant Number SES-1430505.

As of July 2025, the presidency of Lula da Silva, who took office in January 2023, received the approval of ** percent of those polled. January 2023 was the month with the highest approval rating since the president took office, with ** percent. Lula’s approval rating has declined since January 2024. Approval by other demographics When drawing a comparison between Lula’s government and the government of his predecessor, Bolsonaro, ** percent of Brazilians believed, in January 2025, that the current governance was better than the previous. Those that were of the opinion that the two administrations were equal in quality totaled ** percent in the same month. Nevertheless, Lula da Silva’s approval rating in Brazil presented internal variation, namely in terms of religious belief. In March 2025, while ** percent of Brazilians practicing the Catholic faith approved Lula’s government, only ** percent of Evangelical Christians did the same, which demonstrates that the current president is less popular among those professing this faith. Deforestation and the perception of the economy as a "better" Brazil When taking office, Lula da Silva was confronted with sensitive economic issues affecting Brazil, which he addressed by raising the minimum wage and approving tax reforms and fiscal measures aimed at reducing the risk of uncontrolled national debt. Throughout Lula’s first year of presidency, the share of Brazilians perceiving the state of the economy as better than a year before increased. In fact, as of December 2023, almost half of Brazil nationals believed that the economic situation in the country was better than in the previous year, before the start of Lula’s presidency. As promised during the first months after taking office, Lula da Silva has been attempting to halt the Brazilian Amazon rainforest’s deforestation. His efforts are evident when comparing the ***** square kilometers of deforested area in July 2022 to the *** square kilometers recorded in the same month of the following year.

According to a survey conducted in Chile in May 2025, Boric's government had one of the lowest approval rates since the president took office in March 2022. During that month, just 21.5 percent of respondents approved the government. In addition, the age group that most approved of the Chilean president continues to be among those aged between 31 and 40 years old and those younger than that. Economic challenges Following a noteworthy economic expansion in 2021, the nation currently grapples with apprehensions centered around mounting government debt, an adverse economic trajectory, and a surge in unemployment rates. Stemming from an economic downturn, marked by a reduction in domestic demand and an uptick in inflation, the population harbors negative perceptions towards the present presidential administration. Adding to these challenges, the Chilean peso experiences pressure against the US dollar, while the current fiscal position displays a deficit, indicating greater outflows of funds compared to national earnings. Despite these concerns, the country is anticipated to experience prosperity in the forthcoming years. Crime in Chile Although Chile boasts the lowest homicide rate among its Latin American counterparts, crime continues to be a paramount concern for the nation's populace. A surge in violent crimes, particularly armed robberies and urban delinquency, transpired over the past year. This distressing trend even led to fatal incidents involving police officers on the streets. Furthermore, drug-related offenses have escalated, generating substantial issues that impact the broader population due to collateral disputes. Added to this is the erosion of public trust in entities meant to ensure safety, such as police forces and governmental positions, as corruption allegations have surfaced against them.

The United States recorded a trade deficit of 60.18 USD Billion in June of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United States Balance of Trade - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

This paper quantifies the economic impact of regime changes and macroeconomic indicators on debt stress in Zambia using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) Bounds test. A 1% short run increase in gross domestic products (GDP) increases debt stress by 3.16% and in the subsequent year lowers it by 7.21%; in the long-run the 1% GDP increases lowers debt stress by 22%. In the long-run, a 1% rise in inflation and the lending rate negatively and positively impacted debt stress levels by -1.52% and 3.90%, respectively. Short-run shocks culminated regime change had short-run adverse impact on debt stress by 3.45% in one year and in the subsequent year by -10.35%, with the variables adjusting to long-run equilibrium at a speed of 71.5%. This is the first paper to quantify the empirical effect of macroeconomic indicators and change in Presidents on debt stress, especially in Africa were the problem of the debt trap is perpetuated. The results from the study implies that to deescalate the impact of debt stress on the economy, the electorate should vote in governments that will not fall short on growth driven macroeconomic policies, making it possible for economic sustainability to prevail; and paper seeks to promote good governance and good economic policies as a premise for sustained macroeconomic stability and development.

This poll, fielded April 5-12, 2010, is a part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way that Barack Obama was handling his job as president, the economy, health care, and the federal budget deficit, what they liked best and least about Obama, whether they thought things in the country were going in the right direction, and what they thought was the most important problem facing the country. Information was collected on whether respondents approved or disapproved of the way Congress was handling its job, whether they approved or disapproved of the way their representative in Congress was handling their job, whether they had a favorable or unfavorable opinion of President Obama, how respondents would rate the national economy, and who they thought was mostly to blame for the state of the national economy. Respondents were queried on whether they thought that the government's stimulus package made the economy better or worse, whether they thought that the country needed a third political party, whether they would rather have a smaller government with fewer services or a bigger government providing more services, how they felt things were going in Washington, DC, whether they thought the federal government should spend money to create jobs even if it means increasing the budget deficit, and whether they would rather reduce the federal budget deficit or cut taxes. Respondents were also asked who they thought was to blame for the current federal budget deficit, whether they thought providing government money to banks and other financial institutions was necessary to get the economy out of a recession, whether they had a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, John McCain, George Bush, Ron Paul, Glen Beck, and Sarah Palin. Information was collected on what political figure the respondents admired most, whether they thought Sarah Palin would have the ability to be an effective president, whether they thought President Obama understands the need and problems of people like themselves, whether respondents thought he was more of a liberal, a moderate, or a conservative, whether they thought his policies were moving the country more towards socialism, whether they thought he favored a particular race over another, and whether they thought the Obama Administration had raised or lowered taxes for most Americans. Respondents were asked whether they thought that the federal government should require nearly all Americans to have health insurance, whether they thought it would be a good idea to raise income taxes on households that make more than $250,000 a year in order to help provide health insurance for people who do not already have it, whether they approved or disapproved of requiring health insurance companies to cover anyone who applies regardless of whether they have an existing medical condition, and whether they thought that the programs such as Social Security and Medicare are worth the cost of those programs for taxpayers. Respondents were queried on whether they thought legal immigration into the United States should be kept at its presents level, increased, or decreased, how serious a problem they thought illegal immigration was, whether they thought that global warming was causing a serious environmental problem, whether they thought gay couples should be allowed to marry, whether they thought abortion should be legal, whether they thought gun control law should be made more strict, what socialism means to them, and whether they thought it was ever justified for citizens to take violent action against the government. Respondents were also asked a number of questions about the Tea Party movement, including how much have they heard about it, whether they had a favorable opinion of it, whether they supported it, and whether they thought the Tea Party movement generally reflected the views of most Americans. Finally, respondents were asked if they were ever active in a political campaign, whether they purchased gold bars or coins in the past year, what political party they usually vote for, what news network they watched most, how concerned were they that they or someone in their household would lose their job in the next year, whe