U.S. National Debt Surpasses $40 Trillion, Treasury Data Shows

The Treasury Department said the United States' national debt exceeded $40 trillion as of Tuesday's close of business, marking a rise of roughly 600% since 2000 when the debt stood at $5.8 trillion. Spread across the current population, the debt amounts to about $116,800 per person.

Debt growth varied by administration. When President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, the debt was about $36.2 trillion and has since risen 10.6%. President Barack Obama experienced the largest percentage increase during his first term, while the greatest dollar increase occurred under Joe Biden, with the debt climbing $8.45 trillion. Trump's first term saw a $7.81 trillion increase, and Obama’s second term added $3.51 trillion.

Federal spending surged about 50% between fiscal years 2019 and 2021, driven largely by pandemic-related expenditures, which widened the annual deficit. The last federal budget surplus was recorded in 2001.