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The U.S. national debt has surged to historic highs in recent years. According to the latest official data, the debt has skyrocketed to a staggering $36.22 trillion. This alarming figure has sparked major concerns among economists and policymakers.

But how did it get to this point? And perhaps more importantly, what does this mean for the future of the U.S. economy and the global financial system?

U.S. Debt Is Growing Faster Than Ever

To put this massive debt into perspective, it now stands at 118.5% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). What makes this situation even more alarming is that the debt is growing at an accelerating pace.

You might expect policymakers to take action to slow it down, but instead, the U.S. national debt continues to rise at an unprecedented rate.

Key figures:

In the past five years alone, the national debt has increased by $12.97 trillion, which translates to over $65,000 per second.
While you are reading this article, the U.S. has accumulated millions more in debt.
In January 2025, the national debt increased by $5.64 billion per day, while interest payments soared to $19.63 billion per month.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), an independent federal agency analyzing the economic impact of government policies, has raised serious concerns.

If no corrective measures are taken, CBO projects that the debt-to-GDP ratio could reach a staggering 200% by 2035.

What Is Driving U.S. National Debt to Record Levels?

Several major structural factors are fueling the rapid growth of U.S. debt.

The 2008 Financial Crisis

One of the key turning points was the 2008 global financial crisis, which forced the U.S. government to implement massive bailout programs to stabilize the economy.

Banks and large corporations received billions in aid to prevent bankruptcies.
Stimulus measures were introduced to revive economic activity.

In 2008, the U.S. national debt was $10.6 trillion. That means it has increased by 241.5% in the past 17 years.

The COVID-19 Pandemic

While the 2008 crisis was significant, the COVID-19 pandemic triggered an even bigger financial shock.

To support businesses, households, and the healthcare sector, the U.S. government spent over $5 trillion on stimulus packages in 2020 alone.
This led to an unprecedented surge in national debt, which ballooned to $26.9 trillion by the end of 2020.

More importantly, the pandemic reinforced a pattern of high government spending, meaning that debt growth did not slow down even after the crisis ended.

Political Gridlock and Structural Issues

Beyond economic crises, there are long-term structural problems that continue to fuel debt accumulation:

Aging population: The growing number of retirees is increasing government spending on Social Security and Medicare.
Rising healthcare costs: Healthcare spending continues to surge without significant improvements in efficiency.

Political deadlock has made debt reduction nearly impossible:

Republicans refuse to raise taxes, making it harder to increase revenue.
Democrats resist spending cuts, preventing any meaningful debt reduction.

The result? A government unable to take decisive action on one of the biggest economic challenges of our time.

The Global Impact of the U.S. Debt Crisis

It’s clear that this record-high debt is far from ideal. The U.S. government is now spending more on interest payments alone than on essential public services.

By 2025, interest payments on the national debt will reach $1.8 trillion per year—more than the entire U.S. defense budget and Medicare combined.

This has serious long-term consequences:

Less funding for infrastructure, education, and innovation, potentially slowing economic growth.
Risk of debt traps, where the government is forced to borrow more just to cover interest payments.

If the U.S. fails to address its debt problem, it could face a vicious cycle of slow economic growth and skyrocketing interest costs.

But this isn’t just a U.S. problem. As the world’s largest economy and the issuer of the dominant global reserve currency (USD), a U.S. debt crisis could send shockwaves throughout the global economy.

Final Thoughts – What’s Next?

🔹 The U.S. national debt has reached unprecedented levels, now exceeding $36 trillion.
🔹 Macroeconomic shocks, government bailouts, and political inaction have all contributed to its explosive growth.
🔹 If left unchecked, debt-to-GDP could reach 200% by 2035, creating a dangerous financial crisis.
🔹 The global economy is at risk if the U.S. cannot stabilize its debt trajectory.

With no immediate solutions in sight, the question remains: How long can the U.S. sustain this growing debt burden before the global financial system feels the impact?

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Margharet Tess

Editor, Developer at Cryptheory Labs

I have been active in the cryptocurrency world for over 6 years, during which I have written countless articles about this sector. What fascinates me most about cryptocurrencies is their technological aspect and the problems they aim to solve. In the past three years, I have ventured into app development and am currently working on a larger project called P2E Buzzer. Stay tuned for the surprise. 🙂 My previous experiences: Business2Community.com, TradingPlatforms.com

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