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National Debt by President

How much the national debt grew under each president from Carter to today, with a live counter for the sitting president, per-day averages and the Treasury figures behind them.

The total public debt outstanding is the sum of everything the federal government owes, both to the public and to its own trust funds. This page compares the debt on each president’s Inauguration Day with the debt when they left office, and keeps the sitting president’s figure ticking from the Treasury’s live feed.

Presidents do not borrow on their own: Congress passes the budgets and the debt ceiling, and the economy sets much of the tax take. The ledger is still the simplest way to see the scale of borrowing in each era.

National debt by president

What every president added to the total public debt, from Washington to today, and how fast the current total is climbing.

As of Oct 7, 2026
Portrait of Donald J. Trump

47th president · In office now

Donald J. Trump

Republican · Since January 20, 2025 · Second term, in office now.

Debt on Inauguration Day: $36,218,000,000,000

Added since taking office

$4,114,165,575,511

Growing by — every second · 625 days in office · 11.4% more than on day one

Total national debt now
$40,332,165,575,511
Average added per day
$6,582,664,920
Share of all debt added under this president
10.2%

Every president

  1. Portrait of Joe Biden
    46Joe Biden Democratic · 2021–2025
    Added
    $8,466,000,000,000
    Change
    +31%
    Per day
    $5,794,661,190
    Left office at
    $36,218,000,000,000
  2. Portrait of Donald J. Trump
    45Donald J. Trump Republican · 2017–2021 · First term.
    Added
    $7,805,000,000,000
    Change
    +39%
    Per day
    $5,342,231,348
    Left office at
    $27,752,000,000,000
  3. Portrait of Barack Obama
    44Barack Obama Democratic · 2009–2017
    Added
    $9,320,000,000,000
    Change
    +88%
    Per day
    $3,189,596,167
    Left office at
    $19,947,000,000,000
  4. Portrait of George W. Bush
    43George W. Bush Republican · 2001–2009
    Added
    $4,899,000,000,000
    Change
    +86%
    Per day
    $1,676,591,375
    Left office at
    $10,627,000,000,000
  5. Portrait of Bill Clinton
    42Bill Clinton Democratic · 1993–2001
    Added
    $1,540,000,000,000
    Change
    +37%
    Per day
    $527,036,276
    Left office at
    $5,728,000,000,000
  6. Portrait of George H. W. Bush
    41George H. W. Bush Republican · 1989–1993
    Added
    $1,490,000,000,000
    Change
    +55%
    Per day
    $1,019,849,418
    Left office at
    $4,188,000,000,000
  7. Portrait of Ronald Reagan
    40Ronald Reagan Republican · 1981–1989
    Added
    $1,764,000,000,000
    Change
    +189%
    Per day
    $603,696,098
    Left office at
    $2,698,000,000,000
  8. Portrait of Jimmy Carter
    39Jimmy Carter Democratic · 1977–1981
    Added
    $281,000,000,000
    Change
    +43%
    Per day
    $192,334,017
    Left office at
    $934,000,000,000
  9. Portrait of Gerald Ford
    38Gerald Ford Republican · 1974–1977
    Added
    $177,940,000,000
    Change
    +37%
    Per day
    $198,815,642
    Left office at
    $653,000,000,000
  10. Portrait of Richard Nixon
    37Richard Nixon Republican · 1969–1974
    Added
    $121,340,000,000
    Change
    +34%
    Per day
    $59,861,864
    Left office at
    $475,060,000,000
  11. Portrait of Lyndon B. Johnson
    36Lyndon B. Johnson Democratic · 1963–1969
    Added
    $47,860,000,000
    Change
    +16%
    Per day
    $25,376,458
    Left office at
    $353,720,000,000
  12. 35John F. Kennedy Democratic · 1961–1963
    Added
    $16,889,000,000
    Change
    +6%
    Per day
    $16,302,123
    Left office at
    $305,860,000,000
  13. Portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower
    34Dwight D. Eisenhower Republican · 1953–1961
    Added
    $22,900,000,000
    Change
    +9%
    Per day
    $7,837,097
    Left office at
    $288,971,000,000
  14. Portrait of Harry S. Truman
    33Harry S. Truman Democratic · 1945–1953
    Added
    $7,389,000,000
    Change
    +3%
    Per day
    $2,601,760
    Left office at
    $266,071,000,000
  15. Portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt
    32Franklin D. Roosevelt Democratic · 1933–1945
    Added
    $236,143,000,000
    Change
    +1048%
    Per day
    $53,401,854
    Left office at
    $258,682,000,000
  16. Portrait of Herbert Hoover
    31Herbert Hoover Republican · 1929–1933
    Added
    $5,608,000,000
    Change
    +33%
    Per day
    $3,838,466
    Left office at
    $22,539,000,000
  17. Portrait of Calvin Coolidge
    30Calvin Coolidge Republican · 1923–1929
    Paid down
    −$5,419,000,000
    Change
    −24%
    Per day
    −$2,655,071
    Left office at
    $16,931,000,000
  18. Portrait of Warren G. Harding
    29Warren G. Harding Republican · 1921–1923
    Paid down
    −$1,627,000,000
    Change
    −7%
    Per day
    −$1,846,765
    Left office at
    $22,350,000,000
  19. Portrait of Woodrow Wilson
    28Woodrow Wilson Democratic · 1913–1921
    Added
    $21,061,000,000
    Change
    +722%
    Per day
    $7,207,734
    Left office at
    $23,977,000,000
  20. Portrait of William Howard Taft
    27William Howard Taft Republican · 1909–1913
    Added
    $276,000,000
    Change
    +10%
    Per day
    $188,911
    Left office at
    $2,916,000,000
  21. Portrait of Theodore Roosevelt
    26Theodore Roosevelt Republican · 1901–1909
    Added
    $497,000,000
    Change
    +23%
    Per day
    $182,184
    Left office at
    $2,640,000,000
  22. Portrait of William McKinley
    25William McKinley Republican · 1897–1901
    Added
    $916,000,000
    Change
    +75%
    Per day
    $553,808
    Left office at
    $2,143,000,000
  23. Portrait of Grover Cleveland
    24Grover Cleveland Democratic · 1893–1897 · Second term.
    Added
    $266,000,000
    Change
    +28%
    Per day
    $182,067
    Left office at
    $1,227,000,000
  24. Portrait of Benjamin Harrison
    23Benjamin Harrison Republican · 1889–1893
    Paid down
    −$288,000,000
    Change
    −23%
    Per day
    −$197,125
    Left office at
    $961,000,000
  25. Portrait of Grover Cleveland
    22Grover Cleveland Democratic · 1885–1889 · First term.
    Paid down
    −$330,000,000
    Change
    −21%
    Per day
    −$225,872
    Left office at
    $1,249,000,000
  26. Portrait of Chester A. Arthur
    21Chester A. Arthur Republican · 1881–1885
    Paid down
    −$440,000,000
    Change
    −22%
    Per day
    −$348,652
    Left office at
    $1,579,000,000
  27. Portrait of James A. Garfield
    20James A. Garfield Republican · 1881–1881
    Added
    $0
    Change
    +0%
    Per day
    $0
    Left office at
    $2,019,000,000
  28. Portrait of Rutherford B. Hayes
    19Rutherford B. Hayes Republican · 1877–1881
    Paid down
    −$89,000,000
    Change
    −4%
    Per day
    −$60,917
    Left office at
    $2,019,000,000
  29. Portrait of Ulysses S. Grant
    18Ulysses S. Grant Republican · 1869–1877
    Paid down
    −$437,000,000
    Change
    −17%
    Per day
    −$149,555
    Left office at
    $2,108,000,000
  30. Portrait of Andrew Johnson
    17Andrew Johnson Democratic · 1865–1869
    Paid down
    −$133,000,000
    Change
    −5%
    Per day
    −$93,727
    Left office at
    $2,545,000,000
  31. Portrait of Abraham Lincoln
    16Abraham Lincoln Republican · 1861–1865
    Added
    $2,587,419,000
    Change
    +2856%
    Per day
    $1,721,502
    Left office at
    $2,678,000,000
  32. 15James Buchanan Democratic · 1857–1861
    Added
    $61,881,000
    Change
    +216%
    Per day
    $42,355
    Left office at
    $90,581,000
  33. Portrait of Franklin Pierce
    14Franklin Pierce Democratic · 1853–1857
    Paid down
    −$31,103,000
    Change
    −52%
    Per day
    −$21,288
    Left office at
    $28,700,000
  34. Portrait of Millard Fillmore
    13Millard Fillmore Whig · 1850–1853
    Paid down
    −$3,650,000
    Change
    −6%
    Per day
    −$3,766
    Left office at
    $59,803,000
  35. Portrait of Zachary Taylor
    12Zachary Taylor Whig · 1849–1850
    Added
    $391,000
    Change
    +1%
    Per day
    $794
    Left office at
    $63,453,000
  36. Portrait of James K. Polk
    11James K. Polk Democratic · 1845–1849
    Added
    $47,137,000
    Change
    +296%
    Per day
    $32,263
    Left office at
    $63,062,000
  37. Portrait of John Tyler
    10John Tyler Whig · 1841–1845
    Added
    $10,674,000
    Change
    +203%
    Per day
    $7,464
    Left office at
    $15,925,000
  38. Portrait of William Henry Harrison
    9William Henry Harrison Whig · 1841–1841 · Died 31 days into the term.
    Added
    $0
    Change
    +0%
    Per day
    $0
    Left office at
    $5,251,000
  39. Portrait of Martin Van Buren
    8Martin Van Buren Democratic · 1837–1841
    Added
    $4,914,000
    Change
    +1458%
    Per day
    $3,363
    Left office at
    $5,251,000
  40. Portrait of Andrew Jackson
    7Andrew Jackson Democratic · 1829–1837 · Paid the debt down to almost nothing in 1835.
    Paid down
    −$58,084,000
    Change
    −99%
    Per day
    −$19,878
    Left office at
    $337,000
  41. Portrait of John Quincy Adams
    6John Quincy Adams Democratic-Republican · 1825–1829
    Paid down
    −$25,367,000
    Change
    −30%
    Per day
    −$17,362
    Left office at
    $58,421,000
  42. Portrait of James Monroe
    5James Monroe Democratic-Republican · 1817–1825
    Paid down
    −$39,704,000
    Change
    −32%
    Per day
    −$13,587
    Left office at
    $83,788,000
  43. Portrait of James Madison
    4James Madison Democratic-Republican · 1809–1817
    Added
    $66,469,000
    Change
    +117%
    Per day
    $22,747
    Left office at
    $123,492,000
  44. Portrait of Thomas Jefferson
    3Thomas Jefferson Democratic-Republican · 1801–1809
    Paid down
    −$26,015,000
    Change
    −31%
    Per day
    −$8,903
    Left office at
    $57,023,000
  45. Portrait of John Adams
    2John Adams Federalist · 1797–1801
    Added
    $974,000
    Change
    +1%
    Per day
    $667
    Left office at
    $83,038,000
  46. Portrait of George Washington
    1George Washington Unaffiliated · 1789–1797 · Debt inherited from the Revolutionary War.
    Added
    $11,003,000
    Change
    +15%
    Per day
    $3,840
    Left office at
    $82,064,000

Total public debt outstanding from the Treasury's Debt to the Penny and Monthly Statement of the Public Debt (Inauguration Day figures from 1977 on, rounded to the nearest $1 billion) and its Historical Debt Outstanding table (the fiscal-year-end total nearest each transfer of office before that, rounded to the nearest $1 million). The sitting president's figures update from the live Treasury feed; the per-second rate is the average over the most recent reporting days.