Federal debt forecast U.S. 2034 | Statista (2024)

By 2034, the gross federal debt of the United States is projected to be about 54.39 trillion U.S. dollars. This would be an increase of around 21 trillion U.S. dollars from 2023, when the federal debt was around 33 trillion U.S. dollars.

The federal debt of the U.S.

The federal debt, also called the national debt or public debt, is the amount of debt held by the United States government. This debt may be to other countries, or to different departments within the government itself. The public debt of the United States has increased significantly over the past 30 years, as it was around 3.2 trillion U.S. dollars in 1990 and surpassed 30 trillion dollars for the first time in 2022. When broken down per capita, the national debt amounted to about 80,885 U.S. dollars of debt per person in the United States in 2021.

The problem of the federal debt

Over the past decade, the federal debt limit in the United States has increased significantly. The U.S. debt ceiling can only be changed by an act of Congress which is then signed by the president. The raising of the ceiling has become a recurring political issue in recent years, especially during times when the Presidency and chambers of Congress are controlled by different parties.

The debt ceiling is a tool that allows the Treasury to issue bonds without congressional approval, allowing for efficiency in the way that the government pays for programs and services. It is thought to be further valuable in that it keeps federal finances in check. However, when the two parties are unable to come to an agreement on raising the debt ceiling, the government comes to a shutdown because they can no longer fund themselves. The Republican Party in particular often positions itself against raising the federal debt ceiling, characterizing themselves as the party of fiscal conservativism. However, analyses have shown that both parties have contributed to the country's debt in almost equal measures.

Federal debt forecast U.S. 2034 | Statista (2024)

FAQs

Federal debt forecast U.S. 2034 | Statista? ›

By 2034, the gross federal debt of the United States is projected to be about 54.39 trillion U.S. dollars. This would be an increase of around 21 trillion U.S. dollars from 2023, when the federal debt was around 33 trillion U.S. dollars.

What is the US national debt in 2024? ›

U.S. publicly held debt 2013-2024

In March 2024, the public debt of the United States was around 34.59 trillion U.S. dollars, almost two trillion more than in July when it was around 32.6 trillion U.S. dollars.

What is the national debt in 2028? ›

Debt Grows to 116 Percent of GDP by 2034

2028: public debt exceeds the World War II record high of 106 percent of GDP.

Is the US national debt increasing or decreasing? ›

In February, the Congressional Budget Office released its annual Budget and Economic Outlook and projected that the nation will run a $1.6 trillion deficit in FY2024. The debt-to-GDP ratio is expected to increase from 99% in FY2024 to 116% in FY2035.

Which country has the most debt? ›

Japan has the highest percentage of national debt in the world at 259.43% of its annual GDP.

How much will the US debt be in 2025? ›

YearNational debt in billion U.S. dollars
2026*38,624
2025*36,775
2024*34,825
2023*32,988
8 more rows
Feb 29, 2024

At what point will the national debt be unsustainable? ›

Summary: PWBM estimates that---even under myopic expectations---financial markets cannot sustain more than the next 20 years of accumulated deficits projected under current U.S. fiscal policy.

How much is China in debt? ›

China: National debt from 2019 to 2029 (in billion U.S. dollars)
CharacteristicNational debt in billion U.S. dollars
202314,448.67
202212,797.79
202111,358.74
20209,931.52
7 more rows

How much debt is Russia in? ›

In the latest reports, Russia National Government Debt reached 281.6 USD bn in Feb 2024. The country's Nominal GDP reached 494.7 USD bn in Mar 2023.

How much money does the US owe China? ›

The U.S. debt to China is approximately $1.059 trillion. That's 27.8 percent of the $3.8 trillion in treasury bills, notes, and bonds held by foreign countries. The rest of the $19.9 trillion national debt is owned by either the American people or by the U.S. government itself.

Can the US ever get out of debt? ›

Eliminating the U.S. government's debt is a Herculean task that could take decades. In addition to obvious steps, such as hiking taxes and slashing spending, the government could take a number of other approaches, some of them unorthodox and even controversial.

What would happen if the US paid off its debt? ›

Answer and Explanation:

If the U.S. was to pay off their debt ultimately, there is not much that would happen. Paying off the debt implies that the government will now focus on using the revenue collected primarily from taxes to fund its activities.

What happens if US national debt gets too high? ›

Rising debt means fewer economic opportunities for Americans. Rising debt reduces business investment and slows economic growth. It also increases expectations of higher rates of inflation and erosion of confidence in the U.S. dollar.

Why is the US in so much debt? ›

One of the main culprits is consistently overspending. When the federal government spends more than its budget, it creates a deficit. In the fiscal year of 2023, it spent about $381 billion more than it collected in revenues. To pay that deficit, the government borrows money.

What country is not in debt? ›

Singapore is one of Asia's major financial centers. It is also one of the most prosperous countries on the planet. And all this has been achieved without taking on any meaningful public debt. In fact, very much like Norway, Singapore has more assets than debt.

Which country has the best economy? ›

The United States is the undisputed heavyweight when it comes to the economies of the world. America's gross domestic product in 2022 was more than 40% greater than that of China, the world No. 2. Even more striking, U.S. GDP was over five times that of the next two largest economies, Japan and Germany.

How much debt is China in 2024? ›

China: National debt from 2019 to 2029 (in billion U.S. dollars)
CharacteristicNational debt in billion U.S. dollars
2024*16,221.81
202314,448.67
202212,797.79
202111,358.74
7 more rows

What is the U.S. national debt right now? ›

The $34 trillion gross federal debt equals debt held by the public plus debt held by federal trust funds and other government accounts. In very basic terms, this can be thought of as debt that the government owes to others plus debt that it owes to itself. Learn more about different ways to measure our national debt.

How much is China's national debt? ›

In 2023, aggregate local government debt had risen to 92 trillion yuan ($12.58 trillion) and the central government of People's Republic of China ordered its banks to roll over debts in a debt-restructuring. China's gross external debt in 2023 was $2.38 trillion.

What is U.S. national debt by year? ›

Recent US debt service/interest statistics
FYGAO: (Total) Debt Service (in billion dollars)FRED: Fed Receipts (in billion dollars)[2]
20195743463
2018528.43330
2017456.73316
20164303268
11 more rows

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Kareem Mueller DO

Last Updated:

Views: 6350

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (66 voted)

Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Kareem Mueller DO

Birthday: 1997-01-04

Address: Apt. 156 12935 Runolfsdottir Mission, Greenfort, MN 74384-6749

Phone: +16704982844747

Job: Corporate Administration Planner

Hobby: Mountain biking, Jewelry making, Stone skipping, Lacemaking, Knife making, Scrapbooking, Letterboxing

Introduction: My name is Kareem Mueller DO, I am a vivacious, super, thoughtful, excited, handsome, beautiful, combative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.