US National Debt Dashboard
U.S. total public debt outstanding, debt held by the public, intragovernmental holdings, the debt-to-GDP ratio, and deficit trends overlaid with enacted appropriations.
About this data
Federal debt outstanding is the running total of all Treasury securities issued and not yet redeemed — the definitive stock measure of US government obligations. The series here draws from the Treasury Fiscal Data API, broken into debt held by the public (what the government actually owes outside itself) and intragovernmental holdings (what the Social Security and Medicare trust funds have loaned back to the general fund). Debt-to-GDP pairs the stock against the economy's capacity to service it, the single most-cited indicator in sovereign fiscal analysis. For the holders behind those totals, see who owns the US debt.
National debt — headline figures
Total Public Debt Outstanding
- Total Debt
- Held by Public
Debt to GDP Ratio
Deficit, Debt-to-GDP & Appropriations
Federal surplus/deficit and debt-to-GDP ratio overlaid with receipts, outlays, and enacted appropriations
Recent Daily Debt Figures
| Date | Total Debt | Held by Public | Intragov. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 15, 2026 | $40.39T | $32.54T | $7.85T |
| Oct 14, 2026 | $40.33T | $32.48T | $7.85T |
| Oct 13, 2026 | $40.34T | $32.48T | $7.86T |
| Oct 9, 2026 | $40.30T | $32.45T | $7.85T |
| Oct 8, 2026 | $40.31T | $32.45T | $7.85T |
| Oct 7, 2026 | $40.28T | $32.44T | $7.84T |
| Oct 6, 2026 | $40.27T | $32.44T | $7.83T |
| Oct 5, 2026 | $40.25T | $32.43T | $7.82T |
| Oct 2, 2026 | $40.24T | $32.43T | $7.81T |
| Oct 1, 2026 | $40.26T | $32.43T | $7.83T |
| Sep 30, 2026 | $40.17T | $32.43T | $7.75T |
| Sep 29, 2026 | $40.10T | $32.37T | $7.73T |
| Sep 28, 2026 | $40.10T | $32.39T | $7.72T |
| Sep 25, 2026 | $40.10T | $32.39T | $7.71T |
| Sep 24, 2026 | $40.07T | $32.36T | $7.71T |
| Sep 23, 2026 | $40.07T | $32.38T | $7.70T |
| Sep 22, 2026 | $40.10T | $32.38T | $7.72T |
| Sep 21, 2026 | $40.11T | $32.40T | $7.71T |
| Sep 18, 2026 | $40.10T | $32.40T | $7.70T |
| Sep 17, 2026 | $40.09T | $32.39T | $7.70T |
| Sep 16, 2026 | $40.09T | $32.41T | $7.69T |
| Sep 15, 2026 | $40.11T | $32.41T | $7.71T |
| Sep 14, 2026 | $40.05T | $32.36T | $7.70T |
| Sep 11, 2026 | $40.05T | $32.36T | $7.69T |
| Sep 10, 2026 | $40.05T | $32.36T | $7.68T |
| Sep 9, 2026 | $40.07T | $32.39T | $7.69T |
| Sep 8, 2026 | $40.08T | $32.39T | $7.70T |
| Sep 4, 2026 | $40.09T | $32.41T | $7.68T |
| Sep 3, 2026 | $40.10T | $32.42T | $7.68T |
| Sep 2, 2026 | $40.12T | $32.42T | $7.70T |
Key Terms
Frequently asked questions
What is the current US national debt?
The U.S. national debt is the total amount the federal government owes its bondholders and itself. The Treasury publishes the exact figure daily in its 'Debt to the Penny' report. Gross federal debt has exceeded $33 trillion since late 2023, a combination of debt held by the public and intragovernmental holdings.
What's the difference between debt held by the public and intragovernmental holdings?
Debt held by the public is the portion of federal debt owed to investors outside the U.S. government — banks, mutual funds, pension funds, foreign central banks, and the Federal Reserve. Intragovernmental holdings are Treasury securities held by federal trust funds like Social Security and Medicare. Economists focus on debt held by the public because it represents actual borrowing from the real economy.
What is the debt-to-GDP ratio and why does it matter?
The debt-to-GDP ratio expresses federal debt as a percentage of annual economic output. It's the standard measure of a government's debt burden relative to its economy. U.S. debt-to-GDP has crossed 100% since 2020, the highest level since World War II. There's no universal 'safe' threshold — what matters is the trajectory and the country's fiscal credibility.
How fast is the US national debt growing?
Federal debt grows every year that the government runs a deficit — which has happened every year since 2001. Debt crossed $10 trillion in 2008, $20 trillion in 2017, and $30 trillion in 2022. The COVID-19 response and persistent annual deficits have accelerated growth since 2020.
Who owns the US national debt?
Roughly 22% is held by federal trust funds (Social Security, Medicare, etc.). Of the remainder, the Federal Reserve holds about 15%, foreign investors hold about 30% (Japan and China are the largest foreign holders), and the rest is held by U.S. mutual funds, pension funds, banks, state and local governments, and individual investors.