United States debt hits $40 trillion for first time in history

Treasury data showed that the national debt is now $40,,047,425,768,420.22, with $32.26 trillion being held by the public and $7.78 trillion held by intragovernmental holdings.

By Misty Severi

Published: August 19, 2026 5:05pm

The United States' debt reached $40 trillion for the first time in history on Wednesday, highlighting the growing fiscal challenges facing the federal government as Washington continues to run large budget deficits.

Treasury data showed that the national debt is now $40,,047,425,768,420.22, with $32.26 trillion being held by the public and $7.78 trillion held by intragovernmental holdings.

The debt has continued climbing after the government crossed the $39 trillion threshold in March. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said the milestone came as the federal deficit was approaching $2 trillion.

The U.S. borrowing pace has remained substantial in fiscal 2026. The federal government recorded a $432 billion deficit in July, bringing the deficit for the first 10 months of the fiscal year to approximately $1.8 trillion, according to Treasury data.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.