News of the Day May 1, 2026
U.S. Government Debt Exceeds 100% of GDP

The U.S. national debt crossed 100 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) at the end of March, with signs that it might cross the record of 106 percent of GDP reached immediately after World War II.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis released data on the national debt reaching 100.2 percent of GDP on Thursday, noting that debt held by the public on March 31 was $31.27 trillion. GDP over the last year was $31.22 trillion.

Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said the borrowing did not come from “a seismic global conflict, but rather a total bipartisan abdication of making hard choices.”

“It’s happened — the national debt is now larger than the U.S. economy, about twice the historic average,” she said in a statement reacting to the news.

In February, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) warned that if remained unchanged, the debt held by the public will rise to 108 percent of GDP by 2030 and 120 percent by 2036. The deficit would reach $3.1 trillion by 2036.

“Our budget projections continue to indicate that the fiscal trajectory is not sustainable,” CBO Director Phillip Swagel said in a statement at the time.