America’s national debt has surpassed the country’s gross domestic product for the first time since World War II, marking a stark increase in the government’s fiscal burden.
Debt held by the public stood at $31.27 trillion at the end of April, edging above the U.S. GDP of $31.22 trillion between April 2025 and March 2026, according to a recent analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
“Outside of a brief period early in the COVID-19 pandemic – when GDP temporarily crashed – debt only exceeded GDP for two years at the end of World War II,” found the nonpartisan think tank, which focuses on fiscal issues and which favors lower deficits.
