National debt (dollars), term by term
Every term lined up from its inauguration. Context is everything: compare the start of a term with the trend it inherited and with what was happening in the world (recessions, pandemics), all of which are on the full national debt (dollars) chart.
Of the 8 completed terms with data, the national debt rose fastest under Joe Biden, at +$2.12 trillion/yr against +$1.94 trillion/yr in the four years before, and slowest under Jimmy Carter, at +$0.07 trillion/yr against +$0.05 trillion/yr in the four years before. So far under Donald Trump (2nd term), it has gone from $36.22 trillion in Q4 2024 to $39.46 trillion in Q2 2026.
Numbers
| President | During term | 4 years before |
|---|---|---|
| Donald Trump (2nd term) | $36.22 trillion → $39.46 trillion +$2.17 trillion/yr · through Q2 2026 | +$2.12 trillion/yr |
| Joe Biden | $27.75 trillion → $36.22 trillion +$2.12 trillion/yr | +$1.94 trillion/yr |
| Donald Trump (1st term) | $19.98 trillion → $27.75 trillion +$1.94 trillion/yr | +$0.89 trillion/yr |
| Barack Obama | $10.70 trillion → $19.98 trillion +$1.16 trillion/yr | +$0.78 trillion/yr |
| George W. Bush | $5.66 trillion → $10.70 trillion +$0.63 trillion/yr | +$0.08 trillion/yr |
| Bill Clinton | $4.18 trillion → $5.66 trillion +$0.19 trillion/yr | +$0.37 trillion/yr |
| George H. W. Bush | $2.68 trillion → $4.18 trillion +$0.37 trillion/yr | +$0.26 trillion/yr |
| Ronald Reagan | $0.93 trillion → $2.68 trillion +$0.22 trillion/yr | +$0.07 trillion/yr |
| Jimmy Carter | $0.65 trillion → $0.93 trillion +$0.07 trillion/yr | +$0.05 trillion/yr |