US debt is now bigger than the economy for first time since World War II
The U.S. national debt has exceeded the size of the economy for the first time since World War II, reaching 100.2% of GDP as of March 31, 2026, according to new data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The Congressional Budget Office warns that the debt could rise to 120% of GDP by 2036 if current trends continue, potentially slowing economic growth. Lawmakers are being urged to take action to put the nation on a more sustainable fiscal path despite optimistic statements from President Donald Trump.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
NewsWorldAmericasUS politicsUS national debt is now bigger than the economy for first time since World War IILawmakers urged to ‘stop the bleeding’ and put the country on a more sustainable fiscal pathJoe Sommerlad Friday 01 May 2026 14:17 BSTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":true,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"b2968676","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/us-national-debt-gdp-trump-b2968676.html","title":"US national debt is now bigger than the economy for first time since World War II"}}Related: Tucker Carlson lashes out at President…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Independent.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from The Independent
