The national debt is growing at a faster rate than the economy

America’s looming debt spiral

The United States has a debt problem. In 1989, the national debt was almost $3T. As of 2023, that number had ballooned to more than $30T. This video explains why the national debt grew so quickly, and what America's options are going forward. It also explores why the problem is trapped in political gridlock. Watch it to find out more.

Some economists argue the national debt is not a critical concern

The US has the largest national debt and one of the highest debt-to-GDP ratios. These vitals have long been considered a sign of poor fiscal health, but economists are beginning to shift their attention to interest rates to evaluate national debt.

The federal government has spent more money annually than it has collected every year since 2022

The government borrows money to cover this deficit, which increases the national debt. It’s the fourth most expensive spending category in the US budget.

The US national debt is over $31T

The US national debt is at its highest level ever. Learn how the national debt grew to that level and what it means for US economic growth with charts and simple explanations.

The national debt of the US has been trending upward for over a century

The national debt of the US fluctuates. A federally managed database is updated daily and shows how the debt constantly changes over a 24-hour period. It’s broken down by what the government owes individual investors (debt held by the public) and what’s due to one sector of the government by another (intragovernmental holdings).

The US national debt has become more important in recent months

In a moment of deep economic uncertainty, the national debt now matters more than ever. Listen to this podcast to find out why and also explore answers to questions like, "Who does the US owe money to and why?"

Why Ray Dalio thinks the US deficit is a political problem

Dalio frequently argues that debt cycles are inevitable and a tradition of every empire. However, he said in 2025 that the US was headed for a debt crisis. Dalio says that while Republicans and Democrats agree on the math of the debt crisis, all politicians make promises to neither increase taxes nor cut government benefits—which Dalio says can't close the deficit.

The debt ceiling is the threshold Congress sets for federal borrowing

If the US reaches this limit and Congress doesn’t pass a bill to raise it, the government cannot repay its debts. Suddenly, investors would lose assurance that the Treasury would make good on its securities, which have long been considered the safest type of investment.

What happens if the US doesn't pay its debt?

A video created during the debt ceiling debates of 2021 outlining what would happen if the US failed to meet its debt obligations. Its lessons are applicable to today's debates.

See the growth of US consumer debt

Americans reached an all-time high debt burden in 2024. Data compiled from The Kaplan Group shows the evolution of auto loans, mortgages, credit card debt, and student loans from 2003 to 2023, and finds that after a brief decline after 2008, the total debt burden grew rapidly.

Vizualize global debt by country

Global debt reached $226T by the end of 2020—the biggest one-year jump since World War II. This graphic compares the debt-to-GDP ratio of various countries.

US consumers collectively owe more than $1T to credit card companies—almost as much as they owe in auto loans.

Minting a coin that can pay off the federal debt has been proposed as a quick fix to rampant borrowing

It’s uncertain how financial markets would react to such a large cash injection. Some economists warn it could trigger massive inflation. Others say the nation needs a clean slate.

Student debt has a widespread economic impact

Student debt is no different than the big rent or car payment that comes out of someone’s paycheck every month: Its presence affects that household’s purchasing power. Multiply that household by the 43 million Americans who had outstanding federal loan debt in September 2023, and student debt’s impact becomes considerable.

Try to balance the budget

This interactive calculator challenges users to rebalance the federal budget by adjusting taxes and spending. Try your hand at weighing difficult trade-offs that shape long-term deficits, debt growth, and the sustainability of US public finances.

Roughly 43 million US borrowers owe roughly $1.7T in student debt, the second-largest source of consumer debt behind mortgages.

A venture capitalist argues that baby boomers raised the national debt

In his book "A Generation of Sociopaths," venture capitalist Bruce Cannon Gibney places blame for the nation’s rising debt squarely in the hands of baby boomers—those born between 1946 and 1964. They’ve failed to address long-term issues, focusing only on present consumption to the detriment of future generations, he says.

The US-led global debt settlement market is expected to expand from $4.8B in 2024 to $7.2B by 2032

While debt settlement companies aren't technically allowed to charge fees until after lowering a consumer's debt, a loophole in the Telemarketing Sales Rule (a mix of federal and state laws) gives predatory firms the opportunity to exploit consumers.

US depression rates at historic high among adults

More than 18% of US adults reported that they currently have or are being treated for depression in both 2024 and 2025. In the 2025 survey, more than 11,000 adults were surveyed. The numbers have ticked upward since 2015—by about 8 percentage points—with most of the increase occurring from the 2020 pandemic onward.

America's financial burden from dementia in 2025 was $781 billion

That figure, calculated by researchers at the University of Southern California, includes medical and long-term care costs, unpaid family and friend caretaking, lost productivity for patients and their families, and the economic loss in quality of life for patients and their families. In 2025, they estimate there were 5.6 million people living with dementia.

Andrew Jackson was the first and only president to eliminate the national debt

After Jackson slashed spending and began selling federal land, the government was accumulating more money than it was spending. The situation was unprecedented, but it didn’t last. Too much money was being printed and land prices rose to unsustainable levels. Within a year, the economy tumbled into a depression.

Why the US can’t end poverty

Despite being among the wealthiest nations in the world in terms of GDP, the US has a major poverty issue, with more than 37 million Americans living in poverty as of 2023. Part of the issue is that the standards by which the US measures poverty are outdated: The official poverty measure in the US today is based on calculations from the 1960s. Find out more in this video.

The US dollar's value weakened significantly in 2025 amid tariffs

Experts at US Bank predicted in August 2025, that the downward trend was likely to continue, although they acknowledged that uncertainty remains high. As tariffs moved to the center of the White House’s agenda, all G10 currencies grew stronger against the dollar—the Swiss franc even posted double-digit gains.

AI investment may be the next major economic bubble

A video examines the massive surge in AI spending—forecast to hit $500B by 2026—and how this may be propping up a fragile US economy. Experts warn that if AI investment slows or under-delivers, the consequences could be felt in markets, jobs and growth.

This is the longest the US has gone without a minimum wage increase since 1938

The US government hasn’t increased the federal minimum wage in more than a decade. Some people argue it's wrong that Congress needs to debate whether or not to raise the minimum wage—and that perhaps these raises should be tied to inflation.

Calculate how much of your tax dollars go to each federal program based on your income, filing status, and number of children

Social Security trust funds are expected to be unable to pay full benefits by 2035

Most US workers have 6.2% of their gross paycheck taken out for Social Security. The government requires employers to match that 6.2% as well, for a total of 12.4%. This video dives into the specifics of how Social Security functions from a financial perspective.

The US loses roughly $400B a year in productivity due to sleep deprivation

For an article about a woman who built a business empire telling bedtime stories, the Hustle created this graphic showing the estimated GDP loss associated with chronic insomnia. The United States had a much more significant loss than other countries.

The USPS spent $3.97B in 2024, accounting for .058% of the federal budget.

The American Society of Civil Engineers' infrastructure report card gave the US a C in 2025, its highest grade since the project launched in 1998.

The US dollar is the most widely circulated currency in the world, and is involved in nearly 90% of global transactions

US housing costs have risen by roughly 175% between 1991 and 2026—but a growing number of Gen Zers are becoming homeowners anyway. In 2025, 4% of homebuyers were Gen Z, up from 3% the year before.

The United States is one of only around two dozen countries with a fully federal system of government, in which power is divided between national and state governments.

The power and influence of the American presidency have expanded significantly over time—far beyond what the founders envisioned.

Discover the catastrophic consequences of a failure of the US electrical grid—something that is more likely than many Americans think.

The price of gas is a composite made up of several different factors, with the federal gas tax making up less than 20% of what drivers pay at the pump.

The idea for the Federal Reserve was conceived in secret in 1910—with bankers donning duck hunt gear for disguise while traveling to a remote country club on Georgia's Jekyll Island

Before the current East Wing ballroom project, only two White House renovations in the past 100 years cost more than $10M.

11 people died from firework injuries in the US in 2024.

About 2,000 US babies are born annually without some portion of their limbs, potentially leading to a lifetime of pricey prosthetics.

SpaceX's S-1 or 'prospectus' revealed many previously unknown details about the company, including its unprofitability despite doing $18.7B in revenue in 2025, exactly how many voting shares Elon Musk will have in the company (roughly 85%), and more.

Play the role of a student in a game where you try to navigate college and remain debt-free, selecting different income levels, high school experience, race, ethnicity, and more.

According to the physics of black holes, our 4D reality may be a hologram—a projection of information coded on a 2D surface on the edge of the universe.

About 12.5% of US adults experience a phobia in their lifetime, a diagnosis that hinges on the intense fear interfering with daily life and persisting for at least six months.

In 2026, Finland was named the world's happiest country for the ninth consecutive year based on its wealth, social safety network, and high life expectancy, among other factors.

Poison ivy will likely become both larger and more resilient due to climate change.

The 2026 Ebola outbreak is hampered by a lack of vaccine against the species of the virus, heightening the need for rapid tests to aid in disease control.

For centuries, Niagara Falls has been a magnet for daredevils seeking to conquer one of nature's most powerful wonders, with its 200-foot drop and water rushing at 32 feet per second with 280 tons of force.

In 2009, the nation was gripped by the story of a missing young boy who was believed to be floating over Colorado in a homemade balloon, until it was revealed that he was at home the whole time.

The Beatles' US label rejected the band's first two singles, 'Please Please Me' and 'From Me to You,' with one executive calling the band 'dead in the water.'