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Federal Debt Trends Over Time

DebtDebt to GDP
Federal debt has steadily risen since 2001 and reached $28.43 T by the end of 2021. Federal debt as a percent of GDP for 2021 stood at 127%.Federal debt has steadily risen since 2001 and reached $28.43 T by the end of 2021. Federal debt as a percent of GDP for 2021 stood at 127%.

Data Sources and Methodology

This visualization was created using the Monthly Statement of the Public Debt (MSPD) as the data source for federal debt of the United States. Historic gross domestic product (GDP) figures come from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). GDP for FY 2021 is based on the economic forecast for the 2022 Mid-Session Review, adjusted for the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) revisions. Throughout this page, we use the gross domestic product for the Fiscal Year, not the Calendar Year, in order to facilitate an appropriate comparison.

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