MarketXLS

US Federal Debt (Total Public Debt) 39.1T for 

US Federal Debt (Total Public Debt) came in at 39.1T for Q1 2026, up 1.43% from 38.5T the prior quarter and 7.87% above its level of 36.2T one year ago. The series has averaged 8.817T since 1966, reaching a record high of 39.1T in January 2026 and a record low of 316B in April 1966.

Source: Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), St. Louis Fed

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Cite this data: "US Federal Debt (Total Public Debt)," MarketXLS. Data from Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), St. Louis Fed. marketxls.com/indicators/us-national-debt

Historical Data

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January 1, 202639.1T
October 1, 202538.5T
July 1, 202537.6T
April 1, 202536.2T
January 1, 202536.2T
October 1, 202436.2T
July 1, 202435.5T
April 1, 202434.8T
January 1, 202434.6T
October 1, 202334T
July 1, 202333.2T
April 1, 202332.3T
January 1, 202331.5T
October 1, 202231.4T
July 1, 202230.9T
April 1, 202230.6T
January 1, 202230.4T
October 1, 202129.6T
July 1, 202128.4T
April 1, 202128.5T
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⋮
January 1, 19965.118T
October 1, 19954.989T
July 1, 19954.974T
April 1, 19954.951T
January 1, 19954.864T
October 1, 19944.8T
July 1, 19944.693T
April 1, 19944.646T
January 1, 19944.576T
October 1, 19934.536T
July 1, 19934.411T
April 1, 19934.352T
January 1, 19934.231T
October 1, 19924.177T
July 1, 19924.065T
April 1, 19923.985T
January 1, 19923.881T
October 1, 19913.802T
July 1, 19913.665T
April 1, 19913.538T

About US Federal Debt (Total Public Debt)

What it measures

Federal Debt: Total Public Debt (FRED series GFDEBTN) measures the total outstanding gross debt of the US federal government, combining debt held by the public with intragovernmental holdings such as the Social Security trust funds. The Treasury reports the figure, and FRED presents it quarterly in millions of dollars.

Why it matters

The debt stock is the accumulation of past deficits and the base on which interest costs compound. Its trajectory relative to GDP shapes debates over fiscal space, Treasury market capacity, and the long-run burden on future budgets. Debt-ceiling standoffs periodically make the level itself a source of market risk.

How to read it

Judge the debt by its ratio to GDP, not the headline dollar amount, since the economy grows alongside it. Note that gross debt overstates the market-relevant burden: debt held by the public is the portion that must be absorbed by investors. Sustainability depends on the gap between interest rates and nominal growth, not on any specific threshold.

Get US Federal Debt (Total Public Debt) in Excel

Pull US Federal Debt (Total Public Debt) directly into your spreadsheet with a single MarketXLS formula - always current, no copy-pasting:

=FederalDebt()

View the Federal Debt formula documentation or browse all 100+ Economic Data functions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the current US Federal Debt (Total Public Debt)?

US Federal Debt (Total Public Debt) is 39.1T as of January 2026.

What is the all-time high and low of US Federal Debt (Total Public Debt)?

The highest value on record is 39.1T (January 2026) and the lowest is 316B (April 1966).

How often is US Federal Debt (Total Public Debt) updated?

US Federal Debt (Total Public Debt) is published on a quarterly basis, sourced from Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED).

How do I get US Federal Debt (Total Public Debt) in Excel?

Use the MarketXLS Excel formula =FederalDebt() to pull US Federal Debt (Total Public Debt) directly into any cell, with historical values available for analysis.

Basic info
The amount of debt owed by the government of a country.
RegionUnited States
FrequencyQuarterly
Last updatedJune 18, 2026
Seasonal adjustmentNot Seasonally Adjusted
UnitMillions of Dollars

Stats
Last Value39.1T
Latest PeriodQ1 2026
Last UpdatedJune 18 2026, 02:30
Value Previous Quarter38.5T
Change From Previous Quarter1.43%
Value 1 Year Ago36.2T
Change From Year Ago7.87%
Average Growth Rate8.33%/yr
Record High (Jan 2026)39.1T
Record Low (Apr 1966)316B
Long-Term Average8.817T
FrequencyQuarterly
AdjustmentNot Seasonally Adjusted
UnitMillions of Dollars

Annual Averages
202639.1T
202537.1T
202435.3T
202332.7T
202230.8T
202128.7T
202026.1T
201922.5T
201821.4T
201720.1T
201619.5T
201518.3T

Related Indicators
Real Gross Domestic Product
Real Personal Consumption Expenditures
Real Gross Private Domestic Investment
Real Government Spending
Real Net Exports of Goods and Services
Real Exports of Goods and Services
Real imports of goods and services
Federal Receipts
Federal Net Outlays
Federal Surplus or Deficit
Real Private Nonresidential Fixed Investment
Real Private Residential Fixed Investment
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