National Debt Rises Above $21 Trillion for the First Time

Photo of Chris Lange
By Chris Lange Updated Published
This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.
National Debt Rises Above $21 Trillion for the First Time

© Maudib / iStock

For the first time in the history of the United States, the national debt has exceeded $21 trillion, according to the U.S. government. The last milestone, $20 trillion, was hit back in September 2017. Although, this debt could climb even higher due to recent actions by the president and Congress.

In February, the president signed a debt-limit suspension, allowing for unlimited borrowing until March 1, 2019. Economists are expecting the United States to run wider budget deficits due to the tax cuts signed into law in December.

It’s worth noting that this most recent increase in the national debt does not include any impact from the recent Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, enacted in January.

The government had a monthly deficit of $215 billion in February, up 12% from the same month last year due to lower revenue and higher spending.

[nativounit]

In terms of the breakdown, the debt held by the public came in at $15.36 trillion, while intragovernmental holdings totaled $5.68 trillion. Together these total just over $21 trillion.

[wallst_email_signup]

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Photo of Chris Lange
About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics. Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications. A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.

Continue Reading

Top Gaining Stocks

GPC Vol: 5,088,383
MRNA Vol: 14,112,476
EFX Vol: 2,195,638
VRTX Vol: 1,879,133
SPGI Vol: 3,749,613

Top Losing Stocks

TER Vol: 5,938,036
KLA
KLAC Vol: 23,648,857
GLW Vol: 21,192,211
STX Vol: 6,302,838
LRCX Vol: 18,973,383