How Much Interest Does the US Pay, FY2010 to FY2026?
US interest expense on the debt outstanding went from $414.0B in FY2010 to $1,360B in FY2026 (3.29x).
How Much Interest Does the US Pay, FY2010 to FY2026?
Full data
| Period | US interest expense |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $1,360.4B |
| FY2025 | $1,220.0B |
| FY2024 | $1,133.0B |
| FY2023 | $882.6B |
| FY2022 | $718.7B |
| FY2021 | $562.4B |
| FY2020 | $522.8B |
| FY2019 | $574.6B |
| FY2018 | $523.0B |
| FY2017 | $458.5B |
| FY2016 | $432.6B |
| FY2015 | $402.4B |
| FY2014 | $430.8B |
| FY2013 | $415.7B |
| FY2012 | $359.8B |
| FY2011 | $454.4B |
| FY2010 | $414.0B |
Key numbers
- US interest expense: $414.0B in FY2010 to $1,360.4B in FY2026, 3.3x in total, about 7.7% a year on average.
- FY2026 ends Sep 2026; US fiscal years run Oct to Sep.
Compound annual growth, FY2010 to FY2026: +7.7%. Largest one-year change: +28.4% (FY2024 vs FY2023); smallest: -20.8% (FY2012 vs FY2011).
What is counted: the sum of all rows in Treasury's Interest Expense on the Debt Outstanding dataset for each full fiscal year, in nominal US dollars. This is gross interest: it includes interest on debt held by federal government accounts as well as debt held by the public. Fiscal years: FY2026 ends Sep 2026; US fiscal years run Oct to Sep.
Source: U.S. Treasury, Fiscal Data, Interest Expense on the Debt Outstanding, through 2026-09-30. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Treasury. For information only. Not financial advice.
Questions
How much did US interest expense change from FY2010 to FY2026?
From $414.0B to $1,360.4B, or 3.3x.
Where does this data come from?
U.S. Treasury, Fiscal Data (Interest Expense on the Debt Outstanding). The data was downloaded twice and both reads had to match; the numbers here are computed from it by script.
How we made this
Source: U.S. Treasury, Fiscal Data (Interest Expense on the Debt Outstanding) · Data as of 2026-09-30The data was downloaded twice and both reads had to match. Figures are computed from it by script and rounded for display. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Treasury. For information only. Not financial advice. Watch the Short on YouTube.