The US national debt has surpassed $36 trillion, with the current figure standing at approximately $36.2 trillion as of May 2025. To put this into perspective, the debt has increased by 2% from May 2024 and 31% from 2019. This translates to around $106,000 in debt per person in the US. The debt-to-GDP ratio is currently at 121%, indicating that the nation's debt exceeds its annual economic output.¹
Key Breakdown of US National Debt:
- Total Debt: $36.2 trillion
- Debt Held by the Public: $29 trillion
- Intragovernmental Holdings: $7.4 trillion
- Debt-to-GDP Ratio: 121%
- Per-Person Debt: $106,000²
Recent Trends:
- The US national debt has been rising sharply, increasing by $2 trillion since the start of 2024.
- Foreign governments, such as China and Japan, hold significant portions of the debt, with China holding around $870 billion and Japan holding about $1.1 trillion.
- The annualized cost of servicing this debt was $726 billion in July 2023, accounting for 14% of total federal spending.³ ⁴
Implications:
- The growing national debt raises concerns about the long-term sustainability of the federal government's fiscal policies.
- Rising healthcare costs and aging demographics contribute to the increasing debt burden.
- Interest payments on the debt have crossed $1 trillion, with daily interest payments amounting to $3 billion.
