United States national debt has fluctuated significantly over the years. For example, in 1910, the total debt was $2.65 billion, which was 8.1% of the GDP.2 By 1945, the debt had risen to $259 billion, largely due to World War II expenditures.3 In more recent years, the debt has continued to grow. As of 2024, the total federal debt was $36.2 trillion, which equates to approximately $106,000 per person.45
The debt-to-GDP ratio, a common measure of the debt's size relative to the economy, has also varied. In 2024, the debt-to-GDP ratio was 105.5%, indicating that the total debt was larger than the annual economic output.