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.

Historical chart and dataset showing U.S. debt to gdp ratio by year from 1989 to 2023.

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.

The statistic shows the national debt of the United States from 2019 to 2022 in relation to the gross domestic product (GDP), with projections up until 2029. In 2022, the national debt of the United States was at around 120.03 percent of the gross domestic product. See the US GDP for further information. US finances There has been a dramatic increase in the public debt of the United States since 1990, although the month-to-month change has been quite stable over the last few months. Public debt is defined as the amount of money borrowed by a country to cover budget deficits. A ranking of individual state debt in the United States shows that California is leading by a clear margin, with more than double the amount of runner-up New York. Vermont, North Dakota and South Dakota are the states with the lowest amount of debt. Even before the recession of 2008, the national debt of the United States had been increasing steadily and excessively, and it is predicted to rise even further. Budget cuts and fewer job opportunities as a result of the crisis are taking their toll on the American economy, which is still recovering. Trade figures as well as unemployment are still below average. Subsequently, the national debt and the national debt of the United States per capita have more or less quadrupled since the 1990s. Interestingly, the United States is not even among the top ten of countries with the highest public debt in relation to gross domestic product in international comparison. Japan, Greece and Italy – among others – report far higher figures than the United States.

Key information about United States Total Debt: % of GDP

• United States Total Debt accounted for 722.0 % of the country's GDP in 2024, compared with the ratio of 722.0 % in the previous quarter.
• US Total Debt: % of GDP data is updated quarterly, available from Dec 1951 to Sep 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 834.9 % in Mar 2021 and a record low of 309.4 % in Jun 1953.

CEIC calculates quarterly Total Debt as % of Nominal GDP from quarterly Total Debt and quarterly Nominal GDP. Total Debt is calculated as sum of Liabilities for NonFinancial Business, Federal Government, State and Local Government, Households & Nonprofit Organizations and Financial Business less Mutual Fund Shares. Federal Reserve Board provides Total Debt in local currency. Bureau of Economic Analysis provides Nominal GDP in local currency.

Graph and download economic data for Gross Federal Debt Held by the Public as Percent of Gross Domestic Product (FYPUGDA188S) from 1939 to 2023 about public, gross, debt, federal, GDP, and USA.

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

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.

Key information about United States Household Debt: % of GDP

• United States household debt accounted for 61.7 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Dec 2024, compared with the ratio of 62.3 % in the previous quarter.
• US household debt to GDP ratio is updated quarterly, available from Mar 1999 to Dec 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 85.8 % in Dec 2008 and a record low of 49.4 % in Mar 1999.

CEIC calculates quarterly Household Debt as % of Nominal GDP from quarterly Household Debt and quarterly Nominal GDP. Federal Reserve Board of New York provides Household Debt in USD. The Bureau of Economic Analysis provides Nominal GDP in USD. Household Debt includes Mortgages, Home Equity Revolving, Auto Loans, Bankcards, Student Loans and Others.


Related information about United States Household Debt: % of GDP

• In the latest reports, US Household Debt reached 18,036.0 USD bn in Dec 2024.
• Money Supply M2 in US increased 3.9 % YoY in Jan 2025.
• US Foreign Exchange Reserves was measured at 34.9 USD bn in Dec 2024.
• The Foreign Exchange Reserves equaled 0.1 Months of Import in Dec 2024.
• US Domestic Credit reached 30,648.3 USD bn in Mar 2024, representing an drop of 0.3 % YoY.
• The country's Non Performing Loans Ratio stood at 1.7 % in Dec 2024, compared with the ratio of 1.5 % in the previous quarter.

Households Debt in the United States decreased to 69.20 percent of GDP in the fourth quarter of 2024 from 70.50 percent of GDP in the third quarter of 2024. This dataset provides - United States Households Debt To Gdp- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In the fiscal year of 2021, total state and local government debt in the state of New York amounted to 20.07 percent of the annual Gross Domestic Product of the state. In Kentucky, this figure amounted to 22.78 percent of the state's annual GDP, the highest of any state.

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

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.

Key information about United States External Debt: % of GDP

• United States External Debt accounted for 93.7 % of the country's Nominal GDP in 2023, compared with the ratio of 94.4 % in the previous year.
• US External Debt: % of Nominal GDP data is updated yearly, available from Dec 2003 to Dec 2023.
• The data reached an all-time high of 100.0 % in Dec 2020 and a record low of 60.6 % in Dec 2003.

CEIC calculates External Debt as % of Nominal GDP from quarterly External Debt and annual Nominal GDP. The U.S. Department of the Treasury provides External Debt in USD based on BPM6. The Bureau of Economic Analysis provides Nominal GDP in USD. External Debt prior to 2014 is based on BPM5.


Related information about United States External Debt: % of GDP

• In the latest reports of US, Current Account recorded a deficit of 266.8 USD bn in Jun 2024.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) increased by 93.6 USD bn in Jun 2024.
• US Direct Investment Abroad expanded by 56.2 USD bn in Jun 2024.
• Its Foreign Portfolio Investment increased by 258.7 USD bn in Jun 2024.
• The country's External Debt reached 26,467,035.0 in Mar 2024.
• The country's Nominal GDP was reported at 6,632.4 USD bn in Mar 2023.

The U.S. debt held by the public amounted to 24.24 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023, which was about 97.3 percent of the U.S. GDP. The forecast predicts an increase in public debt up to 48.3 trillion U.S. dollars in 2034, which would be about 116 percent of the U.S. GDP. The actual total debt accrued by the U.S. annually can be accessed here.

Gross Federal Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product (GFDGDPA188S) (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GFDGDPA188S) was first constructed by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis in January 2013. It is calculated using Gross Federal Debt (FYGFD) (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/FYGFD) and Gross Domestic Product (GDPA) (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GDPA): GFDGDPA188S = (FYGFD/GDPA)*100

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.

Key information about United States Private Debt: % of Nominal GDP

• United States Private Debt accounted for 145.54 % of its Nominal GDP in Sep 2024, compared with a ratio of 146.25 % in the previous quarter
• US Private Debt contribution to Nominal GDP ratio is updated quarterly, available from Dec 1951 to Sep 2024, with an average share of 119.14 %
• The data reached an all-time high of 172.25 % in Sep 2008 and a record low of 53.98 % in Dec 1951

CEIC calculates quarterly Private Debt as % of Nominal GDP from quarterly Private Debt and quarterly Nominal GDP. Private Debt is calculated as the sum of Debt from Household and Business Sector. Federal Reserve Board provides Private Debt in USD. The Bureau of Economic Analysis Nominal GDP in USD. Flow of Funds Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate Private Debt and Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate Nominal GDP are used.

This dataset provides values for GOVERNMENT DEBT TO GDP reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

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