Historical data · sourced snapshots
US National Debt History (1971 to Today)
The U.S. national debt is the total amount the federal government owes to investors, foreign governments, the Federal Reserve, and its own trust funds. Treasury publishes the figure every business day in its Debt to the Penny dataset, and it is the number behind the live clock on the homepage.
Historical chart
1971 to 2026
Total federal debt outstanding, from FRED quarterly snapshots through 2020 and the latest U.S. Treasury Debt to the Penny figure.
| Period | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | $0.40T | FRED GFDEBTN quarterly federal debt snapshot |
| 1980 | $0.91T | Federal debt approaches $1T |
| 1990 | $3.21T | Deficit era accelerates |
| 2000 | $5.67T | Pre-war, pre-crisis baseline |
| 2010 | $13.6T | After the financial crisis |
| 2020 | $26.9T | Pandemic borrowing shock |
| 2026 | $40.3T | Treasury Debt to the Penny, 2026-10-07 |
What the numbers mean
Reading the national debt history
This page shows the debt at decade intervals since 1971, the year the dollar left the gold standard, alongside the latest Treasury observation. Each point is a sourced snapshot, not a projection. The gap between 2020 and today reflects pandemic borrowing, higher interest costs, and persistent deficits.
Related pages
Debt per citizen · M2 money supply · Inflation loss calculator
Sourced snapshots are rounded; the latest point is refreshed by a scheduled data update and carries its observation date. Methodology · Report a correction.
Questions
National debt history FAQ
How often is the national debt updated?
Treasury publishes Debt to the Penny each business day. The homepage clock projects between refreshes; this table shows the latest reported figure with its date.
Does the national debt include money the government owes itself?
Yes. The total includes intragovernmental holdings such as Social Security trust fund balances as well as debt held by the public. Debt held by the public alone is smaller.
How much national debt is that per person?
Divide the total by the resident population. See the debt per citizen history for the sourced figure and how it has changed since 1971.