About the US national debt
The chart shows total public debt outstanding of the US federal government at the end of each quarter, in trillions of dollars, from the Treasury Department. It includes debt held by the public (Treasury bills, notes and bonds owned by investors, foreign governments and the Federal Reserve) and intragovernmental holdings such as the Social Security trust funds.
The debt is shown in current dollars, so part of its growth is inflation. Economists often compare it with GDP instead.
US National Debt by year
| Year | Average | High | Low | Q4 / latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to Q2) | $39.26T | $39.46T | $39.07T | $39.46T |
| 2025 | $37.14T | $38.51T | $36.21T | $38.51T |
| 2024 | $35.28T | $36.22T | $34.59T | $36.22T |
| 2023 | $32.74T | $34.00T | $31.46T | $34.00T |
| 2022 | $30.83T | $31.42T | $30.40T | $31.42T |
| 2021 | $28.68T | $29.62T | $28.13T | $29.62T |
| 2020 | $26.10T | $27.75T | $23.22T | $27.75T |
| 2019 | $22.49T | $23.20T | $22.02T | $23.20T |
| 2018 | $21.44T | $21.97T | $21.09T | $21.97T |
| 2017 | $20.11T | $20.49T | $19.84T | $20.49T |
| 2016 | $19.55T | $19.98T | $19.26T | $19.98T |
| 2015 | $18.34T | $18.92T | $18.15T | $18.92T |
| 2014 | $17.80T | $18.14T | $17.60T | $18.14T |
| 2013 | $16.85T | $17.16T | $16.74T | $17.16T |
| 2012 | $15.99T | $16.43T | $15.61T | $16.43T |
| 2011 | $14.66T | $15.22T | $14.27T | $15.22T |
| 2010 | $13.39T | $14.03T | $12.77T | $14.03T |
| 2009 | $11.72T | $12.31T | $11.13T | $12.31T |
| 2008 | $9.91T | $10.70T | $9.44T | $10.70T |
| 2007 | $8.99T | $9.23T | $8.85T | $9.23T |
| 2006 | $8.49T | $8.68T | $8.37T | $8.68T |
| 2005 | $7.93T | $8.17T | $7.78T | $8.17T |
| 2004 | $7.35T | $7.60T | $7.13T | $7.60T |
| 2003 | $6.73T | $7.00T | $6.46T | $7.00T |
| 2002 | $6.19T | $6.41T | $6.01T | $6.41T |
| 2001 | $5.81T | $5.94T | $5.73T | $5.94T |
| 2000 | $5.70T | $5.77T | $5.66T | $5.66T |
| 1999 | $5.68T | $5.78T | $5.64T | $5.78T |
| 1998 | $5.56T | $5.61T | $5.53T | $5.61T |
| 1997 | $5.42T | $5.50T | $5.38T | $5.50T |
Quarterly values. The last 30 years are shown; the chart above has the full history since Q1 1966.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the current US national debt?
The US national debt was $39.46T in Q2 2026, up 9.0% from a year earlier, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
What was the highest US national debt on record?
Since Q1 1966, the highest reading was $39.46T in Q2 2026 and the lowest was $0.32T in Q2 1966.
Where does this data come from?
The numbers are published by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and distributed by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis in FRED (series GFDEBTN). They are US government statistics in the public domain. Quotelinks checks for new data every day.
Can I put this US national debt chart on my website?
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