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

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.

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).

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.

Government Debt in the United States increased to 36916987 USD Million in July from 36211469 USD Million in June of 2025. This dataset provides - United States Government Debt- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

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.

The Interest Expense on Debt Outstanding dataset provides monthly and fiscal year-to-date values for interest expenses on federal government debt, that is, the cost to the U.S. for borrowing money (calculated at a specified rate and period of time). U.S. debt includes Treasury notes and bonds, foreign and domestic series certificates of indebtedness, savings bonds, Government Account Series (GAS), State and Local Government Series (SLGS) and other special purpose securities. While interest expenses are what the government pays to investors who loan money to the government, how much the government pays in interest depends on both the total federal debt and the interest rate investors charged when they loaned the money. This dataset is useful for those who wish to track the cost of maintaining federal debt.

In 2022, the federal state of California had about 558.68 billion U.S. dollars of debt outstanding, the most out of any state. New York, Texas, Illinois, and Florida rounded out the top five states with the most debt outstanding in 2022.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Debt to the Penny dataset provides information about the total outstanding public debt and is reported each day. Debt to the Penny is made up of intragovernmental holdings and debt held by the public, including securities issued by the U.S. Treasury. Total public debt outstanding is composed of Treasury Bills, Notes, Bonds, Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS), Floating Rate Notes (FRNs), and Federal Financing Bank (FFB) securities, as well as Domestic Series, Foreign Series, State and Local Government Series (SLGS), U.S. Savings Securities, and Government Account Series (GAS) securities. Debt to the Penny is updated at 3:00 PM EST each business day with data from the previous business day.

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.

United States PS: Public Debt Outstanding: Total data was reported at 36,216.429 USD bn in 15 May 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 36,212.261 USD bn for 14 May 2025. United States PS: Public Debt Outstanding: Total data is updated daily, averaging 20,629.735 USD bn from Oct 2005 (Median) to 15 May 2025, with 4929 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 36,222.989 USD bn in 20 Feb 2025 and a record low of 13,719.548 USD bn in 10 Nov 2010. United States PS: Public Debt Outstanding: Total 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.

Graph and download economic data for Market Value of Marketable Treasury Debt (MVMTD027MNFRBDAL) from Jan 1942 to Jul 2025 about market value, debt, Treasury, and USA.

This table represents the breakdown of total public debt outstanding as it relates to the statutory debt limit. All figures are rounded to the nearest million.

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.

Graph and download economic data for Federal Debt Held by Foreign and International Investors (FDHBFIN) from Q1 1970 to Q1 2025 about foreign, debt, federal, and USA.

United States Total State & Local Government: Debt Outstanding: Short Term data was reported at 35,187,874.000 USD th in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 34,245,302.000 USD th for 2014. United States Total State & Local Government: Debt Outstanding: Short Term data is updated yearly, averaging 15,912,651.000 USD th from Jun 1902 (Median) to 2015, with 73 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 45,742,933.000 USD th in 2008 and a record low of 100,000.000 USD th in 1902. United States Total State & Local Government: Debt Outstanding: Short Term data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.F008: Debt Outstanding: State and Local Government: By State.