Federal Debt (% of GDP)
Federal debt held by the public, measured against the size of the economy.
| Year | Federal Debt (% of GDP) |
|---|---|
| 1966 | 39.5% |
| 1967 | 39.1% |
| 1968 | 37.0% |
| 1969 | 35.5% |
| 1970 | 35.7% |
| 1971 | 35.6% |
| 1972 | 33.7% |
| 1973 | 31.8% |
| 1974 | 30.8% |
| 1975 | 32.7% |
| 1976 | 33.8% |
| 1977 | 33.2% |
| 1978 | 31.9% |
| 1979 | 31.0% |
| 1980 | 31.2% |
| 1981 | 31.4% |
| 1982 | 35.2% |
| 1983 | 37.2% |
| 1984 | 40.1% |
| 1985 | 43.8% |
| 1986 | 47.6% |
| 1987 | 48.6% |
| 1988 | 49.7% |
| 1989 | 51.4% |
| 1990 | 56.0% |
| 1991 | 60.7% |
| 1992 | 62.5% |
| 1993 | 64.7% |
| 1994 | 64.4% |
| 1995 | 64.2% |
| 1996 | 64.4% |
| 1997 | 62.8% |
| 1998 | 60.4% |
| 1999 | 58.3% |
| 2000 | 54.3% |
| 2001 | 55.8% |
| 2002 | 57.9% |
| 2003 | 59.4% |
| 2004 | 60.6% |
| 2005 | 61.3% |
| 2006 | 61.8% |
| 2007 | 62.7% |
| 2008 | 73.2% |
| 2009 | 84.0% |
| 2010 | 91.6% |
| 2011 | 96.1% |
| 2012 | 100.1% |
| 2013 | 99.8% |
| 2014 | 101.3% |
| 2015 | 102.6% |
| 2016 | 104.6% |
| 2017 | 102.3% |
| 2018 | 105.0% |
| 2019 | 105.8% |
| 2020 | 125.6% |
| 2021 | 119.4% |
| 2022 | 117.4% |
| 2023 | 119.6% |
| 2024 | 121.4% |
| 2025 | 122.6% |
| 2026 | 122.6% |
Hover the line to read any month. Drag across the chart to zoom; double-click to reset.
Source: FRED · GFDEGDQ188S · series · Jan 1966 to Jan 2026 · latest-revised
Refreshed Jul 31, 2026 from FRED.
Federal debt held by the public, measured against the size of the economy.
Federal debt held by the public as a percentage of gross domestic product.
Source: FRED · Jan 2026 · Full lesson → Learn
About the bands. Shaded spans are NBER-dated US recessions, drawn as factual overlays. They mark when the economy contracted, not why. Lining an event up with a move is not evidence it caused the move.
Read across
No single number is the economy. These measure nearby parts of it — add one to compare, or open it on its own.
- Federal Deficit (% of GDP) The single-year gap that adds to or pays down this stock.
- Foreign-Held Federal Debt (Share) How much of the publicly held debt is owed to investors abroad.
- 10-Year Treasury Yield What it currently costs the government to borrow.