Amount of personal debt held in the U.S. 2018-2023

The average amount of non-mortgage debt held by consumers in the United States has been falling steadily during the past years, amounting to 21,800 U.S. dollars in 2023. While respondents had 38,000 U.S. dollars of debt in 2018, that volume decreased to 29,803 U.S. dollars in 2019, which constituted the largest year-over-year decrease.

What age groups are more indebted in the U.S.?
The age group with the highest level of consumer debt in the U.S. was belonging to the Generation X with approximately 154,700 U.S. dollars of debt in 2022. The next generations with high consumer debt levels were baby boomers and millennials, whose debt levels were similar. In comparison, credit card debt is more equally distributed across all ages. There is an exception among people under 35 years old, who are significantly less burdened with credit card debt. However, most consumers expect to get rid of their debt in the short term.

College expenses as a source of debt
Educational expenses were not among the leading sources of debt among consumers in the U.S. in 2022. Instead, they made up about ten percent of the total. However, around 39 percent of undergraduates from lower-income families had student loans, while over a fifth of undergraduates from higher-income families had student loans. Independently of how they cover these expenses, the confidence of students and parents about being able to pay these college costs was high in most cases.