US national debt exceeds $40 trillion

The Treasury's daily statement showed total debt outstanding reached $40.047 trillion, comprising $32.266 trillion in debt held by the public and $7.782 trillion in intragovernmental holdings held by federal agencies.

By WAM Published: 2026-08-20T05:19:00+04:00 1 min read
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with technology leaders in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Wednesday. Picture credit: AP
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with technology leaders in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Wednesday. Picture credit: AP

Washington: The United States Department of the Treasury announced that total US national debt has surpassed the $40 trillion mark for the first time, driven by rising costs for entitlement programmes and interest payments alongside falling revenues.

The Treasury's daily statement showed total debt outstanding reached $40.047 trillion, comprising $32.266 trillion in debt held by the public and $7.782 trillion in intragovernmental holdings held by federal agencies.