In October 2024, the public debt of the United States was around 35.46 trillion U.S. dollars, a slight decrease from the previous month. The U.S. public debt ceiling has become one of the most prominent political issues in the States in recent years, with debate over how to handle it causing political turmoil between Democrats and Republicans. The public debt The public debt of the United States has risen quickly since 2000, and in 2022 was more than five times higher than in 2000. The public debt is the total outstanding debt that is owed by the federal government. This figure comprises debt owed to the public (for example, through bonds) and intergovernmental debt (debt owed to various governmental departments), such as Social Security. Debt in Politics The debt issue has become a highly contentious topic within the U.S. government. Measures such as stimulus packages, social programs and tax cuts add to the public debt. Additionally, spending tends to peak during large global events, such as the Great Depression, the 2008 financial crisis, or the COVID-19 pandemic - all of which had a detrimental impact on the U.S. economy. Although both major political parties in the U.S. tend to blame one another for increases in the country's debt, a recent analysis found that both parties have contributed almost equally to national expenditure. Debate on raising the debt ceiling, or the amount of debt the federal government is allowed to have at any one time, was a leading topic in the government shutdown in October 2013. Despite plans from both Democrats and Republicans on how to lower the national debt, it is only expected to increase over the next decade.

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.

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.

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.

This graph shows the state debt per capita in the United States for the 2013 fiscal year. In 2013, the state of Alabama had a total per capita debt of 14,173 U.S. dollars. Average state debt per capita amounted to 16,178 U.S. dollars.

The national debt of the United Stated can be found here. State debt National debts, also known as public debt and government debt, are the amount of money borrowed by states to cover their budget deficits. Nearly all governments use the debt method to finance operations and projects. Government debt can be seen as an indirect debt on taxpayers.

The public debt of the United States has been rising steadily for the last decades from 3,233.31 billion U.S. dollars in 1990 to 17,156.12 billion U.S dollars in 2013.

Although the United States’ debt is significantly high, the country with the highest public debt in 2014, in relation to the gross domestic product (GDP), was Japan. Japan had an estimated debt of about 246.16 percent in relation to the gross domestic product, according to IMF data. Nigeria was among the countries with the lowest national debt in 2014 in relation to the gross domestic product (GDP), with an estimated level of national debt reached about 15.91 percent of the GDP.

Much of the U.S. public debt is held by foreign investors, debt holders like nations or institutions which lent money to the United States. About 47 percent of the U.S. public debt is hold by foreign investors, while the Federal Reserve Bank holds 10 percent of the U.S public debt. As of August 2014, China and Japan are the major foreign holders of U.S. treasury debt. According to the Federal Reserve and U.S. Department of the Treasury, China held 1,270.9 billion U.S. dollars, while Japan held 1,220.1 billion U.S. dollars.

Graph and download economic data for Federal Debt Held by the Public as Percent of Gross Domestic Product (FYGFGDQ188S) from Q1 1970 to Q1 2025 about public, debt, federal, GDP, and USA.

Private Debt to GDP in the United States decreased to 142 percent in 2024 from 147.50 percent in 2023. United States Private Debt to GDP - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on July of 2025.

This graph shows the state debt in the United States for 2013 fiscal year. In 2013, debt in the state of Alabama amounted to **** billion U.S. dollars. The total of state debt amounted to **** trillion U.S. dollars.

State debt calculations include a state's regular debt, the fiscal year 2013 budget gap, outstanding unemployment trust fund loans, unfunded other post employment benefit liabilities, and the state's unfunded pension liabilities.

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

United States Public Debt Transactions: Redemptions data was reported at 341.962 USD bn in 14 May 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 676.115 USD bn for 13 May 2025. United States Public Debt Transactions: Redemptions data is updated daily, averaging 375.979 USD bn from Oct 2005 (Median) to 14 May 2025, with 4915 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,335.831 USD bn in 30 Jun 2022 and a record low of 68.176 USD bn in 02 Oct 2013. United States Public Debt Transactions: Redemptions data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of the Fiscal Service. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.F: Public Debt Transactions.

United States Public Debt Transactions: Issues: Nonmarketable: Government Account data was reported at 368.107 USD bn in 15 May 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 339.233 USD bn for 14 May 2025. United States Public Debt Transactions: Issues: Nonmarketable: Government Account data is updated daily, averaging 369.667 USD bn from Oct 2005 (Median) to 15 May 2025, with 4916 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,149.148 USD bn in 30 Jun 2022 and a record low of 67.307 USD bn in 02 Oct 2013. United States Public Debt Transactions: Issues: Nonmarketable: Government Account data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of the Fiscal Service. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.F: Public Debt Transactions.

This table contains 29 series, with data for years 2009 - 2019 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years). This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Geography (1 item: Canada) Central government debt (29 items: A. Federal debt (accumulated deficit), (B - E); B. Net debt, (C - D); C. Liabilities, gross debt; Accounts payable and accrued liabilities; ...).

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.

This statistic shows the national debt of Brazil from 2020 to 2023 in relation to the gross domestic product (GDP), with projections up until 2030. The figures refer to the whole country and include the debts of the state, the communities, the municipalities and the social insurances. In 2023, the national debt of Brazil amounted to approximately 84 percent of the GDP. Brazil's economy Brazil has one of the largest economies in the world by gross domestic product ) and Purchasing Power Parity. In 2014, the Brazil's gross domestic product amounted to around 2.24 trillion U.S. dollars. However, it is estimated that by 2030, Brazil will have the fourth highest gross domestic product in the world. In 2014, the United States reported the largest gross domestic product worldwide. However, the estimated national debt of the United States in 2014 was over 105 percent of the gross domestic product, while the estimated national debt of Brazil was approximately 66 percent the same year. Even though the national debt of Brazil has slightly decreased over the last decade, it still remains relatively high. A country's national debt refers to the whole country and includes the debts of the state, the communities, the municipalities and the social insurances. In Brazil, the high national debt is also due to country's trade deficit. In 2013, Brazil’s trade deficit amounted to an estimated 3.3 percent of the GDP, adding up to approximately 8.3 billion U.S. dollars in total.

United States Federal Debt: PDS: Marketable: Fed Financing Bank data was reported at 10.339 USD bn in Oct 2018. This stayed constant from the previous number of 10.339 USD bn for Sep 2018. United States Federal Debt: PDS: Marketable: Fed Financing Bank data is updated monthly, averaging 13.612 USD bn from Jan 2001 (Median) to Oct 2018, with 192 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15.000 USD bn in May 2016 and a record low of 5.695 USD bn in Sep 2013. United States Federal Debt: PDS: Marketable: Fed Financing Bank data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of the Fiscal Service. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.F004: Federal Debt.

United States - Federal Government; Debt Securities and Loans; Asset, Transactions was 152579.00000 Mil. of $ in January of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Federal Government; Debt Securities and Loans; Asset, Transactions reached a record high of 707470.00000 in October of 2013 and a record low of -461528.00000 in July of 2014. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Federal Government; Debt Securities and Loans; Asset, Transactions - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on July of 2025.

In the third quarter of 2024, household debt in the United States amounted to over 71.66 percent of its GDP. It can be generally observed that U.S. households are more indebted by the end of the year than in any other quarter. The debt of households peaked in the last quarter of 2020, reaching the highest value since 2013. Debt to GDP ratio As it can be observed here, the household debt to GDP ratio decreased overall in the recent years. The steady growth of the gross domestic product in the United States could be a factor explaining this tendency. If the volume of debt grows at a slower pace than the GDP, the debt to GDP ratio would decrease. In addition to that, the overall value of mortgage debt in the U.S., which is the most significant component of the household debt, decreased from 2012 to the third quarter of 2014, but it has rebounded since then. Public debt in the U.S. Public debt in the United States, which is the amount of money borrowed by the government to finance budget deficits, has been increasing almost every single year. Not only that, but according to that forecast it is also expected to keep increasing during the coming years. The major holders of American government debt, as of December 2023, were Federal Reserve and government accounts and foreign and international holders. The ratio of national debt to GDP of the United States was higher than that of other major economies, but lower than that of Japan. Some of the lowest debt to GDP ratios were observed in Hong Kong SAR, Kuwait, and Turkmenistan.

United States Federal Debt: Statutory Limit: Balance data was reported at 0.025 USD bn in Jan 2018. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.025 USD bn for Dec 2017. United States Federal Debt: Statutory Limit: Balance data is updated monthly, averaging 133.177 USD bn from Jul 1974 (Median) to Jan 2018, with 487 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,910.283 USD bn in Feb 2010 and a record low of 0.000 USD bn in Apr 2013. United States Federal Debt: Statutory Limit: Balance data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of the Fiscal Service. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.F004: Federal Debt. Pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 3101(b). By Act of February 4, 2013, Public Law 113-3 as well as the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014, Public Law 113-46 the Statutory Debt Limit has been suspended for the periods of Feb-13 to Apr-13 and Oct-13 to Jan-14. Pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 3101(b). By the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, Public Law 114-74, the Statutory Debt Limit has been suspended through March 15, 2017. Pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 3101(b). By the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 and Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017, Public Law 115-56, the Statutory Debt Limit was suspended through December 8, 2017. Pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 3101(b). By the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 and Bipartisan Budget Act, 2018, Public law 115-119, the Statutory Debt Limit was suspended through March 1, 2019.

Australia recorded a Government Debt to GDP of 43.80 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2024. This dataset provides - Australia Government Debt To GDP - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

United States Public Debt Transactions: Issues data was reported at 341.245 USD bn in 14 May 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 677.058 USD bn for 13 May 2025. United States Public Debt Transactions: Issues data is updated daily, averaging 378.958 USD bn from Oct 2005 (Median) to 14 May 2025, with 4915 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,432.467 USD bn in 30 Jun 2022 and a record low of 68.167 USD bn in 02 Oct 2013. United States Public Debt Transactions: Issues data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of the Fiscal Service. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.F: Public Debt Transactions.

The statistic shows the national debt of Japan from 2020 to 2023, with projections up until 2030. The amount of Japan's national debt in 2023 amounted to about 9.91 trillion U.S. dollar. In a ranking of debt to GDP per country, Japan is thus currently ranked first. Japan's economic power With one of the largest gross domestic products (GDP), Japan is among the largest economies in the world. However, ever since the global financial crisis, Japan's GDP - like many others - has been slightly unstable; Japan even reported a negative GDP growth in comparison to the previous year in 2011 and in 2014. Still, it is estimated that gross domestic product in Japan will continue to thrive over the next decade. One indicator is Japan's inflation rate: Despite the aforementioned economic slumps, Japan has managed to maintain one of the lowest inflation rates in the world, and it also reduced its unemployment rate. Between 2010 and 2013, the unemployment rate in Japan decreased by approximately one percent, and it is expected to drop even lower over the next years. Recently, Japan has been reporting a trade deficit, meaning the value of its imports exceeds the value of its exports. Most of these imports have come from China and the United States. The trade deficit is one of the causes for in an increase of the national debt. It is estimated that the national debt in relation to the GDP will increase further until 2020.