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.

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.

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 ****** U.S. dollars. Average state debt per capita amounted to ****** 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 ******** billion U.S. dollars in 1990 to ********* 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 ****** 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 ***** 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 ** percent of the U.S. public debt is hold by foreign investors, while the Federal Reserve Bank holds ** 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 ******* billion U.S. dollars, while Japan held ******* billion U.S. dollars.

In 2022, the federal state of New York had a debt of around ****** U.S. dollars per capita, the most out of any state in the U.S. While not a state, the District of Columbia had an even higher per capita debt, at ****** U.S. dollars. The total debt accrued by the U.S. annually can be accessed here, and outstanding debt by state here.

Comprehensive Federal Tax Lien Data by CompCurve Unlock unparalleled insights into tax lien records with CompCurve Federal Tax Lien Data, a robust dataset sourced directly from IRS records. This dataset is meticulously curated to provide detailed information on federal tax liens, unsecured liens, and tax-delinquent properties across the United States. Whether you're a real estate investor, financial analyst, legal professional, or data scientist, this dataset offers a treasure trove of actionable data to fuel your research, decision-making, and business strategies. Available in flexible formats like .json, .csv, and .xls, it’s designed for seamless integration via bulk downloads or API access, ensuring you can harness its power in the way that suits you best.

IRS Tax Lien Data: Unsecured Liens in Focus At the heart of this offering is the IRS Tax Lien Data, capturing critical details about unsecured federal tax liens. Each record includes key fields such as taxpayer full name, taxpayer address (broken down into street number, street name, city, state, and ZIP), tax type (e.g., payroll taxes under Form 941), unpaid balance, date of assessment, and last day for refiling. Additional fields like serial number, document ID, and lien unit phone provide further granularity, making this dataset a goldmine for tracking tax liabilities. With a history spanning 5 years, this data offers a longitudinal view of tax lien trends, enabling users to identify patterns, assess risk, and uncover opportunities in the tax lien market.

Detailed Field Breakdown for Precision Analysis The Federal Tax Lien Data is structured with precision in mind. Every record includes a document_id (e.g., 2025200700126004) as a unique identifier, alongside the IRS-assigned serial_number (e.g., 510034325). Taxpayer details are comprehensive, featuring full name (e.g., CASTLE HILL DRUGS INC), and, where applicable, parsed components like first name, middle name, last name, and suffix. Address fields are equally detailed, with street number, street name, unit, city, state, ZIP, and ZIP+4 providing pinpoint location accuracy. Financial fields such as unpaid balance (e.g., $15,704.43) and tax period ending (e.g., 09/30/2024) offer a clear picture of tax debt, while place of filing and prepared_at_location tie the data to specific jurisdictions and IRS offices.

National Coverage and Historical Depth Spanning the entire United States, this dataset ensures national coverage, making it an essential resource for anyone needing a coast-to-coast perspective on federal tax liens. With 5 years of historical data, users can delve into past tax lien activity, track refiling deadlines (e.g., 01/08/2035), and analyze how tax debts evolve over time. This historical depth is ideal for longitudinal studies, predictive modeling, or identifying chronic tax delinquents—key use cases for real estate professionals, lien investors, and compliance experts.

Expanded Offerings: Secured Real Property Tax Liens Beyond unsecured IRS liens, CompCurve enhances its portfolio with the Real Property Tax Lien File, focusing on secured liens tied to real estate. This dataset includes detailed records of property tax liens, featuring fields like tax year, lien year, lien number, sale date, interest rate, and total due. Property-specific data such as property address, APN (Assessor’s Parcel Number), FIPS code, and property type ties liens directly to physical assets. Ownership details—including owner first name, last name, mailing address, and owner-occupied status—add further context, while financial metrics like face value, tax amount, and estimated equity empower users to assess investment potential.

Tax Delinquent Properties: A Wealth of Insights The Real Property Tax Delinquency File rounds out this offering, delivering a deep dive into tax-delinquent properties. With fields like tax delinquent flag, total due, years delinquent, and delinquent years, this dataset identifies properties at risk of lien escalation or foreclosure. Additional indicators such as bankruptcy flag, foreclosure flag, tax deed status, and payment plan flag provide a multi-dimensional view of delinquency status. Property details—property class, building sqft, bedrooms, bathrooms, and estimated value—combined with ownership and loan data (e.g., total open loans, estimated LTV) make this a powerhouse for real estate analysis, foreclosure tracking, and tax lien investment.

Versatile Formats and Delivery Options CompCurve ensures accessibility with data delivered in .json, .csv, and .xls formats, catering to a wide range of technical needs. Whether you prefer bulk downloads for offline analysis or real-time API access for dynamic applications, this dataset adapts to your workflow. The structured fields and consistent data types—such as varchar, decimal, date, and boolean—ensure compatibility with databases, spreadsheets, and programming environments, making it easy to integrate into your ...

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.

This data set represents average student loan debt by college and program in Utah as reported by the US Dept of Education in 2020. This data was created by the US Dept of Education by linking taxpayer data with student loan data.

In 2025, approximately half of consumers in the United States expecting a tax return refund intended to save that money. Around 30 percent of respondents planned to either pay down debt or use the money for everyday expenses.