When Did US Debt Cross $30 Trillion?
US total public debt outstanding crossed $30 trillion in Jan 2022; by October 22, 2026 it stood at $40.44 trillion.
| Period | US total public debt |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-22 | $40.4T |
| 2025-12-26 | $38.4T |
| 2024-12-27 | $36.1T |
| 2023-12-29 | $34.0T |
| 2022-12-30 | $31.4T |
| 2021-12-31 | $29.6T |
| 2020-12-31 | $27.7T |
| 2019-12-27 | $23.1T |
| 2018-12-28 | $21.9T |
| 2017-12-29 | $20.5T |
| 2016-12-30 | $20.0T |
| 2015-12-31 | $18.9T |
| 2014-12-26 | $18.0T |
| 2013-12-27 | $17.2T |
| 2012-12-28 | $16.3T |
| 2011-12-30 | $15.2T |
| 2010-12-31 | $14.0T |
| 2009-12-31 | $12.3T |
| 2008-12-26 | $10.6T |
| 2007-12-28 | $9.1T |
| 2006-12-29 | $8.7T |
| 2005-12-30 | $8.2T |
| 2004-12-31 | $7.6T |
| 2003-12-26 | $6.9T |
| 2002-12-27 | $6.3T |
| 2001-12-28 | $5.9T |
| 2000-12-29 | $5.7T |
| 1999-12-31 | $5.8T |
| 1998-12-31 | $5.6T |
| 1997-12-31 | $5.5T |
| 1996-12-27 | $5.3T |
| 1995-12-29 | $5.0T |
| 1994-12-30 | $4.8T |
| 1993-12-31 | $4.5T |
Since April 1, 1993 it grew 9.57x (+7.0% a year). First day at or above each level: $5T February 23, 1996; $10T September 30, 2008; $20T September 8, 2017; $30T January 31, 2022; $40T August 18, 2026. From $5T to $10T: 12.6 years (about 151 months). From $10T to $20T: 8.9 years (about 107 months). From $20T to $30T: 4.4 years (about 53 months). From $30T to $40T: 4.5 years (about 55 months). Note: after first reaching $30T, the total was back below it on 1 later day(s) (last: 2022-02-03).
What is counted: total public debt outstanding = debt held by the public + intragovernmental holdings, in nominal US dollars (not adjusted for inflation).
Source: U.S. Treasury, Fiscal Data (Debt to the Penny), as of October 22, 2026. Values as published; we only picked weekly points and the exact first day above each level for the chart. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. For information only. Not financial advice.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Treasury. For information only. Not financial advice. Figures are computed from the source data by script and rounded for display. Watch the Short on YouTube.