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.

Government Debt in the United States decreased to 36211469 USD Million in June from 36215818 USD Million in May of 2025. This dataset provides - United States Government Debt- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

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

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.

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.

Graph and download economic data for Gross Federal Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product (GFDGDPA188S) from 1939 to 2023 about gross, debt, federal, GDP, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Federal government current expenditures: Interest payments (A091RC1Q027SBEA) from Q1 1947 to Q1 2025 about payments, expenditures, federal, government, interest, GDP, and USA.

United States Federal Debt: Held by Govt Account: Public Debt Sec data was reported at 5,737.252 USD bn in Sep 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 5,655.997 USD bn for Aug 2018. United States Federal Debt: Held by Govt Account: Public Debt Sec data is updated monthly, averaging 1,895.541 USD bn from Jan 1980 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 465 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5,737.252 USD bn in Sep 2018 and a record low of 184.499 USD bn in Jan 1980. United States Federal Debt: Held by Govt Account: Public Debt Sec 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.

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.

Graph and download economic data for Federal Surplus or Deficit - from Oct 1980 to May 2025 about budget, federal, and USA.

The national debt of Canada was about ************* U.S. dollars in 2024. Between 1980 and 2024, the national debt rose by approximately ************* U.S. dollars, though the increase followed an uneven trajectory rather than a consistent upward trend. The national debt will steadily rise by around ************** U.S. dollars over the period from 2024 to 2030, reflecting a clear upward trend.

The national debt of Equatorial Guinea was estimated at about 4.58 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. Between 1980 and 2024, the national debt rose by approximately 4.56 billion U.S. dollars, though the increase followed an uneven trajectory rather than a consistent upward trend. The national debt will steadily rise by around 3.34 billion U.S. dollars over the period from 2024 to 2030, reflecting a clear upward trend.

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

France recorded a Government Debt to GDP of 113 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2024. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - France Government Debt to GDP - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

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 Federal Debt: Held by Public: Public Debt Securities data was reported at 15,778.806 USD bn in Sep 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 15,802.853 USD bn for Aug 2018. United States Federal Debt: Held by Public: Public Debt Securities data is updated monthly, averaging 3,685.167 USD bn from Jan 1980 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 465 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15,802.853 USD bn in Aug 2018 and a record low of 663.196 USD bn in Jan 1980. United States Federal Debt: Held by Public: Public Debt Securities 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.

The national debt of Finland was estimated at about ************** U.S. dollars in 2024. Between 1980 and 2024, the national debt rose by approximately ************** U.S. dollars, though the increase followed an uneven trajectory rather than a consistent upward trend. The national debt will steadily rise by around ************* U.S. dollars over the period from 2024 to 2030, reflecting a clear upward trend.

The national debt of Norway was estimated at about ************** U.S. dollars in 2024. From 1980 to 2024, the national debt rose by approximately ************** U.S. dollars, though the increase followed an uneven trajectory rather than a consistent upward trend. Between 2024 and 2030, the national debt will rise by around ************* U.S. dollars, showing an overall upward trend with periodic ups and downs.

United States Federal Debt: Agency Securities data was reported at 22.822 USD bn in Sep 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 23.052 USD bn for Aug 2018. United States Federal Debt: Agency Securities data is updated monthly, averaging 24.077 USD bn from Jan 1980 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 465 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 36.174 USD bn in Feb 1996 and a record low of 3.518 USD bn in Dec 1987. United States Federal Debt: Agency Securities 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.

Depicted is the national debt of Norway which lies at approximately 218.55 billion U.S. dollars in 2025.Fluctuating rise between 1980 and 2025Between 1980 and 2025 a total increase by approximately 204.21 billion U.S. dollars can be observed. This increase however did not happen continuously.Fluctuating rise between 2025 and 2030The national debt will amount to close to 240.89 billion U.S. dollars in 2030, according to forecasts. Compared to 2025 this is an overall increase by approximately 22.34 billion U.S. dollars.