National Debt Clock
The US national debt from the Treasury's daily count, with a running estimate between updates, the interest bill and the record since 1971.
Up 8.4% in a year. 19.5 cents of every dollar of federal revenue, and more than the $965 billion spent on national defense.
Total debt on 30 June 2026 against GDP for April to June 2026 at an annual rate. Debt held by the public: 97%.
The official total shared across 342,978,214 residents, the Census Bureau's estimate for 27 October 2026.
The official total shared across 134.8 million households, the Census Bureau's 2025 count.
The debt since 1971
Every year since 1971
| Fiscal year | Total debt | Change | Of GDP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $40.17T | +$2.53T | Pending |
| 2025 | $37.64T | +$2.17T | 120.7% |
| 2024 | $35.46T | +$2.30T | 119.9% |
| 2023 | $33.17T | +$2.24T | 118.2% |
| 2022 | $30.93T | +$2.50T | 117.4% |
| 2021 | $28.43T | +$1.48T | 118.5% |
| 2020 | $26.95T | +$4.23T | 124.2% |
| 2019 | $22.72T | +$1.20T | 104.6% |
| 2018 | $21.52T | +$1.27T | 103.5% |
| 2017 | $20.24T | +$671B | 102.8% |
| 2016 | $19.57T | +$1.42T | 103.6% |
| 2015 | $18.15T | +$327B | 98.6% |
| 2014 | $17.82T | +$1.09T | 100.1% |
| 2013 | $16.74T | +$672B | 98.7% |
| 2012 | $16.07T | +$1.28T | 98.5% |
| 2011 | $14.79T | +$1.23T | 94.5% |
| 2010 | $13.56T | +$1.65T | 89.6% |
| 2009 | $11.91T | +$1.89T | 82.4% |
| 2008 | $10.02T | +$1.02T | 67.3% |
| 2007 | $9.01T | +$501B | 61.9% |
| 2006 | $8.51T | +$574B | 61.3% |
| 2005 | $7.93T | +$554B | 60.4% |
| 2004 | $7.38T | +$596B | 60.0% |
| 2003 | $6.78T | +$555B | 58.6% |
| 2002 | $6.23T | +$421B | 56.7% |
| 2001 | $5.81T | +$133B | 54.8% |
| 2000 | $5.67T | +$18B | 55.0% |
| 1999 | $5.66T | +$130B | 58.4% |
| 1998 | $5.53T | +$113B | 60.6% |
| 1997 | $5.41T | +$188B | 62.5% |
| 1996 | $5.22T | +$251B | 64.2% |
| 1995 | $4.97T | +$281B | 64.7% |
| 1994 | $4.69T | +$281B | 64.0% |
| 1993 | $4.41T | +$347B | 64.1% |
| 1992 | $4.06T | +$399B | 61.9% |
| 1991 | $3.67T | +$432B | 59.1% |
| 1990 | $3.23T | +$376B | 53.8% |
| 1989 | $2.86T | +$255B | 50.2% |
| 1988 | $2.60T | +$252B | 49.3% |
| 1987 | $2.35T | +$225B | 48.1% |
| 1986 | $2.13T | +$302B | 46.1% |
| 1985 | $1.82T | +$251B | 41.6% |
| 1984 | $1.57T | +$195B | 38.5% |
| 1983 | $1.38T | +$235B | 37.3% |
| 1982 | $1.14T | +$144B | 33.9% |
| 1981 | $998B | +$90B | 30.6% |
| 1980 | $908B | +$81B | 31.8% |
| 1979 | $827B | +$55B | 31.0% |
| 1978 | $772B | +$73B | 32.2% |
| 1977 | $699B | +$78B | 33.0% |
| 1976 | $620B | +$87B | 33.5% |
| 1975 | $533B | +$58B | 32.3% |
| 1974 | $475B | +$17B | 31.1% |
| 1973 | $458B | +$31B | 32.4% |
| 1972 | $427B | +$29B | 33.7% |
| 1971 | $398B | 34.4% |
Questions readers ask
How much is the US national debt right now?
$40.53 trillion on 26 October 2026, the Treasury's latest official total ($40,528,358,939,415.85). Over the past 12 months it grew by an average of $6.86 billion a day, about $79,452 a second.
Who owns the national debt?
$32.64 trillion, or 80.5%, is debt held by the public: owned outside the federal government, including by the Federal Reserve. The other $7.89 trillion is held by federal accounts. The largest at the end of September 2026 were Social Security's trust funds ($2.44 trillion), military retirement ($2.12 trillion) and the federal employees' retirement fund ($1.21 trillion).
How much interest does the US pay on its debt?
Net interest was $1.05 trillion in fiscal 2026, up 8.4% from $0.97 trillion the year before. That is 19.5 cents of every dollar of federal revenue, and more than the $965 billion spent on national defense. Gross interest on all Treasury securities was $1.36 trillion; $292 billion of that was credited to federal trust funds and other government accounts.
What is the national debt per person and per household?
$118,166 per person and $300,678 per household. Those divide the 26 October 2026 total by the Census Bureau's population estimate of 342,978,214 for 27 October 2026 and its count of 134.8 million households in 2025.
What is the US debt-to-GDP ratio?
121.2% on 30 June 2026: $39.46 trillion of total debt against GDP of $32.56 trillion at an annual rate. Debt held by the public was 97.3% of GDP. In 1971 total debt was 34.4% of GDP.
The bigger picture, every Monday
One research brief on the dollar, the debt and the assets being repriced around them.