Central government debt, total in United States of America
United States of America: Central government debt, total was 115.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Central government debt, total in United States of America, 1989–2024
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2024, central government debt, total in United States of America stood at 115.8%.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and up 21.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, central government debt, total in United States of America peaked at 124.5% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 33.3%, in 2000.
United States of America ranks 4th of 83 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Central government debt, total in United States of America, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 39.1% | — |
| 1990 | 40.9% | +4.6% |
| 1991 | 44.1% | +7.6% |
| 1992 | 46.1% | +4.5% |
| 1993 | 48.2% | +4.8% |
| 1994 | 47.4% | -1.9% |
| 1995 | 47.2% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 46.7% | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 44.1% | -5.6% |
| 1998 | 41.1% | -6.8% |
| 1999 | 37.7% | -8.3% |
| 2000 | 33.3% | -11.8% |
| 2001 | 52.6% | +58.2% |
| 2002 | 54.0% | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 56.4% | +4.4% |
| 2004 | 56.8% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 56.7% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 55.6% | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 55.8% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 64.0% | +14.6% |
| 2009 | 76.0% | +18.9% |
| 2010 | 85.2% | +12.0% |
| 2011 | 89.7% | +5.4% |
| 2012 | 93.8% | +4.6% |
| 2013 | 95.5% | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 95.6% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 96.1% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 98.1% | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 97.2% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 98.6% | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 100.2% | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 124.5% | +24.2% |
| 2021 | 118.3% | -5.0% |
| 2022 | 112.7% | -4.7% |
| 2023 | 114.7% | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 115.8% | +0.9% |
United States of America compared with similar countries
- United States of America's 115.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 61.2%, 1.9× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Central government debt, total in United States of America changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +58.2% | 33.3% | 52.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 39.1% | 39.1% | 39.1% | 1 |
| 1990s | 44.4% | 37.7% | 48.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 56.1% | 33.3% | 76.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 95.0% | 85.2% | 100.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 117.2% | 112.7% | 124.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States of America
More economy & growth data for United States of America
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.63 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.12 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 422.23 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0137 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 1,235 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 400.52 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 34.83 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.013 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 1,172 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 52.24 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is central government debt, total in United States of America?
- Central government debt, total in United States of America was 115.8% in 2024, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest central government debt, total recorded in United States of America?
- The highest recorded value was 124.5% in 2020.
- What is the lowest central government debt, total recorded in United States of America?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.3% in 2000.
- How does United States of America rank for central government debt, total?
- United States of America ranks 4th out of 83 countries with data for 2024.
- Is central government debt, total rising or falling in United States of America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States of America data come from?
- The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Central government debt, total (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Debt is the entire stock of direct government fixed-term contractual obligations to others outstanding on a particular date. It includes domestic and foreign liabilities such as currency and money deposits, securities other than shares, and loans. It is the gross amount of government liabilities reduced by the amount of equity and financial derivatives held by the government. Because debt is a stock rather than a flow, it is measured as of a given date, usually the last day of the fiscal year. Central government is the part of general government that includes all administrative departments of the national executive, legislative, and judicial functions, other central agencies and those non-market producers controlled by the central government, whose competence extends normally over the whole economic territory. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.