US National Debt

The chart shows total US public debt outstanding, from the Treasury Debt to the Penny report, every business day over five years. The values are quoted in trillions. The page shows the current national debt with its 90-day change.

The debt grows whenever the government spends more than it collects, so the direction is rarely news. What matters is the pace against the size of the economy, and the cost of the interest. Every dollar here is a bond someone must buy, and more supply pushes Treasury yields up. The total also includes debt the government owes itself.