Federal Debt Through American History
Every year of federal debt since 1790, set against who was in office and what was happening at the time. The debt was paid off entirely once, in 1835. It has not come close since.
Debt Timeline (1790–2025)
Drag the bar underneath to zoom into a period. Shaded bands are administrations, colored by party. Dashed lines mark events.
Presidential Administrations
Tap any row to see details · Debt in nominal dollars
47 of 47 administrations · Tap any row for detail
A note on reading this
Figures are gross federal debt outstanding at fiscal year end. Anything before 1940 comes from Treasury historical records, and 1940 onward from FRED. Where an administration begins or ends mid-year, the debt is interpolated between the surrounding annual figures.
Debt rising or falling under a president is not the same as a president causing it. Wars, recessions, tax receipts, and spending locked in by earlier Congresses all move this line, often with a lag measured in years. The numbers below say what happened, not who is to blame.